Red Pepper-Harissa Dip

Recipe by: Leslie Brenner

You could be really serious and roast all the red bell peppers for this recipe, but I don't – I buy a jar of them and save myself the work. In fact I try to keep a jar on hand in the pantry in case friends stop by unexpectedly; it's easy to whip this up and cut up some vegetables (carrots, celery, cauliflower – whatever's in the fridge) to serve with it. Sometimes I use walnuts in it, sometimes pecans: whatever I happen to have. Sometimes if I don't have harissa (which you can buy in a tube or a jar in well-stocked supermarkets), I might open a can of chipotles en adobo, and use a little of that. If I don't have crème fraîche, I might use sour cream in its place. You see – the recipe is super easy-going. This serves 4 people; just double everything if you want to serve more. You can serve it as soon as it's done, but if you let it chill in the fridge for an hour or three, the flavors and texture…