Roasted Red Pepper And Garlic Dip With Fennel Crudite

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Separate garlic cloves, leaving skins intact, and wrap together in foil. Bake in upper third of oven for 1 hour.
2. Quarter bell pepper lengthwise and throw away stems, seeds, and ribs. In a shallow baking pan arrange quarters skin-side up. Roast for 20 min. When cold sufficient to handle, peel pepper, and transfer to a blender. Remove garlic from foil and squeeze pulp into blender.
3. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulbs and throw away any tough outer layers. Cut bulbs lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices and, if you like, halve slices lengthwise. Transfer fennel to a bowl of ice and cool water. Refrigeratefennel at least 30 min, or possibly till crisp, and up to 3 hrs.
4. In a small heavy skillet dry-roast cumin and caraway seeds over moderate heat, stirring, till fragrant and a few shades darker, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn them. In a cleaned electric coffee grinder grind seeds to a pwdr and add in to pepper mix with remaining dip ingredients. Puree mix till smooth. Dip may be made 5 days ahead and chilled, covered.
5. Drain fennel in a colander and pat dry. Serve dip with fennel.
6. This recipe yields 8 servings.
7. Wine Suggestions: A rose from the Languedoc Valley in Southern France, most recent vintage available or possibly Boutari Red Noussa Reserve, Greece, most recent vintage available