Sundried Tomato and Basil Hummus

I’m not exactly the spelling- or grammar-police, but can be horrified by the evident lack of interest in education. Some examples I have seen recently include:

• On a door: Do to our recent move store is clothes. (Yes! Two embarrassing mistakes on one sign!)

• At Menards: Panty closet for your kitchen (Who needs an “r” in pantry?)

• On an ad for a Catholic charity sale: Pubic sale open to all (What?!?)

• And in the Walmart garden center: Hummus — rich and black (Hmmm…)

And that has just been in the past few weeks! Positively shameful.

I understand that many do not know English as their first language, so let me explain something: humus is the rich, dark, organic portion of soil and hummus is a creamy, nutritious, and delicious treat made of chick-peas. A healthy dose of protein, fiber, and all sorts of other good things, homemade hummus is where it’s at.

Yes, there are some tasty versions of hummus to buy, but when reading the ingredient list, ask yourself if this is really what you want to ingest:

Garbanzo beans (garbanzo beans, water, salt), water, tahini (pureed sesame seeds), oil blend (canola oil and/or safflower oil, extra virgin olive oil), garlic (garlic, citric acid), cultured dextrose, salt, concentrated lemon juice, spices, phosphoric, acetic and malic acids.

Making it at home gives you control over the freshness, quality, and necessity of ingredients. A few minutes with the food processor, and there’s no need for an emulsifier (the acids). And if the hummus is stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a couple days, there is no need for fermented sugar (cultured dextrose) to inhibit the growth of mold.

For ease and convenience, I use canned garbanzo beans — another name for chickpeas. Many recipes encourage removing the skin in order to make a super-smooth hummus. That is a chore I refuse to undertake! What does help is boiling the chickpeas in water with a little baking soda for 15-20 minutes. When they are rinsed and drained, chunks of skin are easy to scoop out, and the skins that remain are so tender that they blend smoothly.

Boom! Another huge problem in this world solved!

Tahini — another hotly-debated topic. Some people make hummus without it, and my question is, “Why?!?” Honestly, if you want good hummus, add 1/4 cup of tahini. If you want GREAT hummus, add 1/2 cup. Plain and simple.

While the beans are simmering, the tahini, lemon juice, zest, garlic, and salt are whirred together in the food processor. Then they can sit while the flavours integrate. It also gives you time to pick basil and get the sundried tomatoes ready.

The last ingredient is ice water. I do not understand the science behind this, but get ice cubes into a cup, add a little water, and add that really cold water as the hummus is in the final processing step. It makes for smoother, creamier, fluffier hummus. Go figure!

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