Hummus

1 garlic clove
1 15 oz can organic chickpeas, drained, rinsed
Salt to taste
1/4 cup organic tahini (sesame paste)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, drop the garlic and process until minced. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the hummus is smoothly pureed.  Serve with fresh whole wheat pita bread wedges.

I’ve been making hummus since my college days.  There was a graduate student from the Middle East whose name I’ve forgotten that had a room down the hall from me in the dorm.  What makes this memory so unforgettable was the introduction of hummus to my taste buds.   Love from the first bite.  Like I said, I’ve been making hummus for a long time.  This hummus recipe was one of our appetizers at this weekend’s gathering of exquisite friends.  Before I get off point let me share my hummus tips.

I never thought there would be a big difference between organic and regular tahini/canned chickpeas.  I was wrong.  Use organic chickpeas and you’ll never go back to the private label brands ever again.  Raw garlic is pretty garlicky.  Use one clove.  Any more fresh garlic than a single clove and you will no longer have gatherings with your exquisite friends.  Most hummus recipes call for a lot more tahini than a 1/4 cup.  Go ahead and use more tahini if you prefer but I’ve found out that a little tahini (like raw garlic) goes a long way.  I happen to like my hummus lemony.  One lemon is usually what your exquisite friends will tolerate without forcing them to abruptly depart mumbling something under their lemony breath.   Go easy with the salt but use enough extra virgin olive oil to create the consistency of hummus you prefer.

And that’s it.  We like to spread our spread thinly on a large serving plate, drizzle with more EVO and sprinkle a little paprika and parsley on top.

Two cloves of garlic and the juice from 1.5 lemons.

Trust me on this.