Hummous

Cooking from scratch has become not only a pleasure, but also a real need for me. It is so simple, satisfying, and rewarding that I'm wondering why I did not do it more often in the past...

Hummous, adapted from Everyday Greens Cookbook (p.12)

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas (about 6 oz), sorted and soaked overnight

8 cups cold water

1/4 cup roasted sesame tahini

1/4 olive oil

1 ts minced garlic

1 ts cumin seeds, toasted and ground

3/4 ts salt

2 1/2 or 3 tbs fresh lemon juice

Cayenne pepper

Method

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a large saucepan with the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until completely tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain the chickpeas and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Combine the chickpeas, tahini, oil, garlic, cumin, salt, 2 1/2 tb of the lemon juice, and a pinch of cayenne in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until completely smooth, adding the cooking liquid as needed to thin. Adjust the seasoning with salt, lemon juice, and cayenne to taste.

GREENS' TIP: You can always cook the chickpeas the day before and make the hummous the following day. Just be sure to keep the chickpeas in their cooking liquid until you are ready to puree them. They keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a airtight container.