A Warm Vegetable Bath of Oil

One of my favorite dips is a warm mixture of olive oil, butter, anchovy and garlic. Called bagna cauda, or “warm bath” in Italian, it is a classic from the northern Italian region of Piedmont. For many years I made this wonderful dip and brought it to family parties as an appetizer along with an enormous basket of red and green bell peppers, fennel and celery sticks, carrots, endive and radicchio leaves, green onions and tiny radishes for dipping.

In recent years, a good friend from Turin in the Piedmont region taught me to serve this lovely rich sauce over vegetables as a main course. Use whatever vegetables are available, either in your market or your refrigerator.

In the recipe below, I suggest boiled potatoes, steamed broccoli or cauliflower and small carrots. But for a more elaborate feast, you could use braised fennel, roasted and peeled red peppers or oven-roasted asparagus.

Arrange the hot cooked vegetables on a platter so people can help themselves. Then pass the serving bowl with the bagna cauda and let each person “sauce” the vegetables on his or her plate.

This makes a very light but satisfying and comforting meal after a busy day. For dessert, serve a bowl of tangerines for peeling, walnuts and almonds in their shells for cracking and dried figs for simple nibbling.

BOILED VEGETABLES WITH BAGNA CAUDA VEGETABLES

1 1/2 pounds red-skinned boiling potatoes, boiled until tender

1/2 head broccoli, cut into stalks, and / or cauliflower, broken into florets

1 (1-pound) bag small carrot nuggets, rinsed

BAGNA CAUDA

1 (2-ounce) can flat anchovy fillets

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

VEGETABLES

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 25 minutes, depending on size. Steam broccoli until tender, about 5 minutes. Steam carrots until tender, about 10 minutes.

When vegetables are cooked, arrange on platter or in wide bowl and keep warm.

BAGNA CAUDA

Drain anchovies, blot dry and chop.

Heat oil and butter in medium skillet over low heat until butter melts. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add anchovies and stir until completely dissolved and blended. Whisk mixture to emulsify.

4 servings. Each serving:

789 calories; 586 mg sodium; 74 mg cholesterol; 65 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 2.42 grams fiber.