Hummus

First of all, I can't say "hummus" without thinking, "Hummus! I got the Hummus!" I love Friends.

I first spotted Katie's hummus recipe on Colleen's blog and thought it would be a perfect little appetizer for our Memorial Day Weekend barbecue. I followed the recipe to the letter (well, sort of - the can of chickpeas I had was 15oz, not 12. Also, my garlic cloves were kind of little so I used 4) and was really impressed with how easy this was to throw together.

As is usual for a hostess, I didn't get to each much of this (just a little finger dip when it was fresh out of the food processor!) but it was quite a hit. It was definitely very garlicky, but that was quite alright with the crowd we had.


Ingredients

• 1 12-oz can chick peas
• 1-2 large cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp+ tahini (sesame paste)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Drain water from the can of chick peas into a small bowl and reserve.

In a food processor (or blender), mix together the chick peas with the remaining rest of the ingredients, being careful to add second half of lemon juice and tahini slowly, stopping to taste.

Slowly add some of the reserved liquid from beans and a bit of water for correct consistency,(about 1-2 minutes) until a smooth, slightly fluid paste is formed.

Refrigerate for at least 30 mins before serving. This changes the taste of the hummus by allowing the flavors to form.

Note: to dress the hummus up for the table, the traditional way of serving is on a plate, with an extra drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkle of paprika and chopped parsley.