Strange things accumulate in the kitchen cupboards of holiday rentals, bits and pieces left behind by until a whole random pantry develops. Some are useful: salt, oils, condiments. But some are just odd, forgotten or not worth the trouble of repacking to take home.

Years ago I was staying in a holiday house at Christmas and found a jar of roasted red peppers in the cupboard. One afternoon, in a grazing mood between lunch and dinner, the edge taken off my inhibitions by some decent Riesling, I decided to turn them into a dip with some chips. A largely untouched bowl of walnuts was put to good use (as were the nutcracking talents of a friend) and the first version of this was made. Since then, I’ve modified it to the point I like, which is the recipe below, and I encourage you to continue to change it yourself.

It makes a perfectly easy dip – after all, it requires nothing more of you than running a blender – and you could toss in a can of rinsed chickpeas to instantly bulk it up and turn it into a hummus. Consider it also as a tasty sauce with barbecued meats.

Quick red pepper dip

Makes about 1½ cups.

250g (9 oz) jar of roasted peppers
100g (4 oz) walnuts
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Drain the peppers well and put them in the bowl of a small processor. Measure in all the other ingredients and pulse until combined but with some texture remaining.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (and up to 2 days) before serving at room temperature.