Dollop and dunk: Top five delicious dairy-packed dips

Kids need plenty of calcium to build strong bones for life, and dairy foods are the best source of this essential nutrient. A creamy dairy-rich dip slathered on a sanga or tucked into a lunchbox delivers a serious calcium boost!

We’ve gathered five delicious fetta, milk, yoghurt and cream cheese-based dips that’ll have everyone dunking with delight. Grab some crunchy crudités and fresh hunks of flatbread and get ready to dollop and dunk your way to healthy bones.

1. Whipped fetta dip

This dip is a breeze to whip up. Get creative with toppings – try crushed nuts, nigella seeds or toasted sesame seeds.

Ingredients
200 g block of South Cape Danish Style Fetta, brine reserved
¼ cup milk
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon zest
½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Dukkah, to serve
Pita bread, to serve

Method
Place Danish Style Fetta, brine, milk, garlic and zest into a food processor, and blitz until smooth. Scrape down the sides and blitz again to make sure everything is nicely combined. Add olive oil, and blitz until completely smooth and creamy. Scoop into a bowl, sprinkle with dukkah, and serve with warm pita bread. Note: A stick-blender can be used instead of a food processor.

St Augustine's Primary School students are ready to tuck in!

Why not bring on ‘Dip Day’ at your school or service?

St Augustine's Primary School in Yarraville had a fabulous Dip Day recently. Their kitchen educator explains: “As we had a lot to do in the garden today, I wanted students to prepare something simple yet healthy, while providing an opportunity for them to practice their knife skills. Garlic and saltbush Turkish bread, two types of olives, yoghurt dip and cut veggies were on the menu. I loved how the students dived in, crunching away and thoroughly enjoying good healthy clean food.”

2. Raita

Yoghurt-based raita is a common side dish in India, providing a tangy contrast to curries and other rich dishes. It’s simple to make and is packed with veggies – helping to build upon knife and grater skills (win-win).

Choose your favourite raita from our menu, then experiment with different fresh chopped herbs from your school garden.

Cucumber raita makes a delicious centrepiece on a grazing plate

Cucumber raita

The classic! Kitchen Garden Program members will find our cucumber raita recipe on the Shared Table, our online resource library and community hub.

Warrnambool East Primary School students made beetroot raita and lavosh

Beetroot and mustard seed raita 

Find Stephanie Alexander’s bright pink beetroot and mustard seed raita recipe in her latest cookbook Fresh, available signed from our online shop. This dazzling dip is packed with fresh green chillis and coriander and is delicious mopped up with fluffy focaccia or crisp lavosh crackers. Kitchen Garden Program members will find our easy recipe for rosemary lavosh on the Shared Table.

Shop now: Fresh by Stephanie Alexander (signed)

Dragonfruit raita

You can use white or red dragon fruit for this recipe, courtesy of Alawa Primary School in the Northern Territory – members of the Kitchen Garden Program since 2009! Red dragon fruit are slightly more fragrant and create a glorious pink raita. Members can download the recipe for dragonfruit raita from the Shared Table.

3. Skordalia

Skordalia is a hearty potato-based dip from Greece, containing milk and lots of fresh garlic. Serve with a platter of raw or lightly steamed veggies from the school garden. Try green beans, carrot sticks and pieces of jicama or sliced radishes.

Kitchen Garden Program members will find our step-by-step skordalia recipe on the Shared Table, formatted specifically for literacy learning – ideal for students with different literacy needs or those learning English as a second language. 

4. Beetroot borani 

Borani is a tangy Persian yoghurt dip that is delicious dolloped into a pita pocket with crisp cos lettuce, sliced cucumber and fetta. Kitchen Garden Program members can download our beetroot borani recipe from the Shared Table.

The recipe is included in our lesson unit ‘The Science of Taste’ as an example of a balanced dish using sour flavours. The unit can be found in our resource Tools for Teachers 5 – Years 5 & 6 (currently 50% off in our shop).

You might like to plant your garden with different beetroot varieties. Find a range of beetroot seeds, including bright yellow ‘Burpees Golden’, at The Diggers Club. Did you know membership to the Diggers Club is included in a Kitchen Garden Program membership?

Dips are fun to make and share with your friends

5. Lactose-free tzatziki

Originating in Greece, tzatziki is thicker than raita and is traditionally made with Greek yoghurt. A creamy lactose-free tzatziki can be made with lactose-free cream cheese and a splash of good vinegar for zing.

Ingredients
2 Lebanese cucumbers, grated (no need to peel or de-seed)
250 g Liddells Lactose Free Cream Cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish
1 tsp red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp salt, to taste
¼ tsp pepper, to taste
handful fresh dill or mint, chopped, to garnish

Method
Squeeze the grated cucumber with your hands, to remove excess moisture. Transfer the squeezed cucumber to a large bowl. Add the Lactose Free Cream Cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Mix well with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. To serve, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with dill or mint.

Tip: Slice celery sticks lengthwise and fill with tzatziki to make delicious ‘canoes’.

When it comes to calcium-packed snacks, dairy-based dips are truly the cream of the crop. We hope you loved our Top Five!

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation has partnered with Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA) since 2019. SDA produce and distribute many of the dairy brands you know and love, like Devondale, CHEER, Liddells, Tasmanian Heritage and Mersey Valley. 

The work of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is only made possible with the continued support of our partners, and we thank Saputo Dairy Australia for their commitment and generosity. 

📷 Main photo: Students at Wendouree Primary School and their trio of colourful dips.