Spring Vegetable and Goat Cheese Dip

Ingredients

• 14 ounce artichoke hearts drained chopped canned
• 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 2 tablespoons chives fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves fresh chopped
• 0.3 cup peas fresh frozen thawed (or , )
• 4 ounces goat cheese fresh divided crumbled
• 6 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 1 cup leek white chopped ( and pale-green parts only)
• 0.5 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
• 1 cup cheddar cheese white grated
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 1.3 cups milk whole

Equipment

• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• pot
• baking pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
2. Drain; let cool.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes.
5. Whisk in flour; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened; remove from heat.
6. Add cheddar; whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold in asparagus (reserve tips), artichoke hearts, peas, chives, mint, flat-leaf parsley, zest and 2 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese.
7. Transfer mixture to a 4-5-cup baking dish; arrange asparagus tips on top and dot with another 2 ounces goat cheese.
8. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15-20 minutes.
9. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.