A friend of mine shared the delights of this simple recipe for Banga Cauda, which is a classic Italian mixture of olive oil and butter cooked together with garlic and anchovies and then served with crudities for dipping into it. Although it usually shines as an appetizer, it is a wonderful excuse to make a meal of fresh vegetables. Also great served with a crusty dense bread.

Serves 4

¾ cup Olive oil

6 Tb Butter

2 2-oz. tins flat Anchovies in olive oil

8-10 cloves garlic

In a small skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter together until the butter melts. Add the garlic and the anchovies, along with the oil they came in, and lightly simmer for about 15 minutes until the garlic is soft and the anchovies have started to fall apart. Stir well with a fork to incorporate the flavors.

Prepare an assortment of crudities (raw vegetables) for dipping into your Banga Cauda. In the photo, I served mine with radicchio leaves, slices of purple daikon and watermelon radishes, cucumber, bell pepper, purple carrots and celery. Some additional suggestions for vegetables that work well are endive leaves, wedges of romaine, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, lightly blanched asparagus spears, or anything that looks good to you; the possibilities are endless.

I also like to serve a little variety plate of olives and pickles and/or cheeses alongside it.