Kentucky Derby Party: Benedictine Dip

Below is a description of one of the many dishes I made for a Kentucky Derby-themed party last year. Go to the main post for details about the party, links to all the dishes I made, and a simple schedule to help you host your very own Derby party!
*******************

According to Wikipedia, Benedictine is a spread made with cucumbers and cream cheese. Invented near the beginning of the 20th century by Jennie Carter Benedict (a caterer, restaurateur and cookbook author in Louisville, Kentucky), it was originally and still is used for making cucumber sandwiches. However, in recent years it has been used as a dip. 

I added this dish to my Derby party to make sure that we had some healthy veggies to snack on for the night, as there is only so much meat and cheese people can munch on!

Buen provecho,
Jacqueline

Benedictine Dip, from Food Network

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, peeled
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 TBSP grated onion
¼ tsp salt
1 TBSP mayonnaise
2 TBSP sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
2 TBSP chopped fresh dill

dash green food coloring, optional (I did not use this)

Accompaniments: carrots, sugar snap peas, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, red/orange/yellow bell pepper

Directions

1. Grate cucumber and drain in a fine mesh sieve. 
2. Combine cucumber, cream cheese, onion, salt, mayonnaise, sour cream and food coloring (if using) in a food processor. 
3. Transfer to a bowl and add chopped dill. Taste for seasoning. 
4. Serve with crudité.

Some tips from the online recipe reviews:

• If its too thick, you can add a small amount of cream or sour cream, or add some extra grated cucumber
• You can double the cucumber if you want a stronger flavor
• Add a dash of hot sauce or pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• Add a few tablespoons of finely chopped parsley or spinach when blending the dip in the food process (in lieu of the green food coloring)