Ingredients:

2 heads garlic
3 ½ ounces kale (about 1/3 of a 10 ounce bag of cut kale)
12 ounces cream cheese, softened (you can gently heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds)
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and finely chopped (half of a 12 ounce bag)
1 ¼ cups shredded, four-cheese blend (Asiago, Provolone, Parmesan, Fontina), divided use
1-2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
• Crispy, Lemon-Olive Oil Pita Strips (recipe below)

Preparation:

-Preheating your oven to 400 °, and lightly mist a small/medium-sized baking dish (about a quart size) with cooking spray.

-Roast the heads of garlic by cutting the tops off of each, exposing the cloves; drizzle each head with a little olive oil, wrap each tightly in a small piece of foil, and place into the oven to roast for 40 minutes; once roasted and soft, remove from foil and allow the heads to slightly cool so they can be handled; then, squeeze the garlic out of the cloves, and using a fork or the side of your knife, mash the roasted cloves into a paste; set aside for a moment, and turn the oven up to 450°.

-While the garlic is roasting, place a medium-large pot of water over high heat; once it comes to the boil, turn the heat off and add the kale in, pushing it down into the water with a pair of tongs; allow the kale to very briefly blanch (about 30-45 seconds), and then drain and immediately plunge it into an ice water bath to “shock” it and cool it down for a few seconds; drain the kale very well, and squeeze out any excess water, and pat dry with a paper towel; next, very finely chop the kale, and remove any bigger, tough “rib” pieces, or chop those up very finely; set the kale aside for a moment.

-Add the softened cream cheese to a medium-large bowl, and to it add the sour cream and the mayonnaise; mix these ingredients well with a spatula, until they are blended and fairly smooth; next, add in the chopped artichoke hearts, the chopped kale and the roasted garlic paste, along with ¼ cup of the shredded four-cheese blend, and mix together; next, add in the parsley, salt, pepper and lemon juice, and incorporate those in, blending the mixture thoroughly.

-To bake, turn the mixture out into the prepared baking dish, and smooth the top with a spoon; sprinkle over the remaining 1 cup of shredded four-cheese blend, and place into the oven to bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the dip is hot and bubbly, and the top golden; serve with Crispy, Lemon-Olive Oil Pita Strips for dipping, or your choice of chips.

Crispy, Lemon-Olive Oil Pita Strips ingredients:

6-8 whole pitas, cut in half, and then those halves cut into strips
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3-4 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch salt
• Pinch freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch garlic powder
• Lemon wedge (to squeeze over chips after baking - optional)

Preparation:

-Preheat the oven to 400°, and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

-Place the pita strips into a large bowl, and add in the lemon zest; toss the strips with the lemon zest, to evenly coat and “perfume” the pita strips; next, drizzle in the olive oil, and add the salt, pepper and garlic powder, and toss everything together to coat the strips in the seasoning; turn the strips out onto the lined baking sheet in as much of a single layer as possible, and place into the oven to bake for about 20-22 minutes, stirring the strips about half-way through, or until golden-brown and crisp; serve warm or cool with the dip.