Recipe: Hummus

I made this hummus for the lovely Clementine Dipple and her friend to positive reviews.  These are the proportions I like, but feel free to play with the amounts of lemon juice and zest, garlic, cayenne, and tahini to make this recipe your own!

Ingredients:

·         1 19oz. can of chickpeas (drained)

·         Juice and zest of ½ lemon (the zest is the key)

·         1 clove of garlic (for hummus, I like to grate the garlic on a microplane rather than chopping it or using a garlic press.  This makes the garlic a fine paste to ensure it is evenly distributed throughout the hummus and you will not bite down into a big chunk of garlic)

·         4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         2 Tbsp tahini (be careful, tahini can overpower the other ingredients so use it sparingly)

·         ¼ tsp cayenne (not enough to make it hot, just enough to make it hum)

·         1 tsp salt

Directions:

·         Place the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

·         If it is too thick, add water a tablespoon or two at a time and blend until the desired consistency is reached.

·         This hummus is great spread on pita, but is also a great dip for vegetables.  Clementine Dipple says this hummus is good enough to cover up the taste of gross carrots.

·         Welcome additions: try adding roasted garlic instead of raw.  If you want to be really fancy, make a small well in the middle of the hummus when it is in the serving dish and garnish it with 3 chickpeas held in reserve, a dusting of sumac, and a small drizzle of olive oil. #pro