This moving thing is tough. My house is in a constant state of disarray. I haven’t cleaned my stovetop in weeks. I have unread magazines on my kitchen table. Someone wrote “wash me” in the soap scum on my shower door. Between work and packing and yoga and writing and pawning stuff off on friends and obsessively refreshing the apartment listings on Boulder’s Craigslist and the occasional existential crisis over what I’ve gotten myself into, I barely have time to brush my hair and wash my teeth. Wait… Switch those. I’m busy, y’all.
Chick Peas
Weidner Red Pepper
Squeezing the Lemons
Garlic
Cumin
Pita
All of this past week’s free time has been dedicated to preparing for our big moving sale. I’ve been going through boxes I haven’t seen in years (I thought I’d lost those sunglasses!) and cleaning out closets that should have been cleaned out years ago (anyone need four blond wigs and a fishing spear?). I’ve always considered myself to be the non-coveting type, having the ability to let go of useless things and to keep only the bare necessities. I have now learned that I have been fooling myself all these years, and I have been living a big fat lie. I like stuff. Like, lots of stuff. Like, LOTS.
While going through a random kitchen box, I came across one of the first recipes I ever scrawled on a piece of scrap paper: Garlicky Hummus. Finding this smudged and stained piece of paper brought back a vivid memory: It was 2001, and I was in between classes, slumped against the counter in the kitchen of our old house on Church Street (Hubs and I were roommates with Bestie Bev at the time), flipping through a Cooking Light magazine. I was determined to broaden my palate from Rice-A-Roni and frozen pizzas, and I came across a recipe for hummus. “Hummus… Now THAT I can do”, I thought to myself. I jotted the recipe down, and caught the bus back to Kimpel just in time for class. The rest, they say, is history… Well, not exactly – unless you call being stuffed away in a dusty box for ten years “history”.
Last Sunday afternoon allotted me just enough time to revisit this recipe, and even give it a little revamping. Hubs was outside cleaning out his shop (The piles! The dirt! The junk! Oh, the humanity!), and I thought hummus and pita would be a wonderful break time snack. I have to say, I love the title of the recipe alone: “Things to Do: Garlicky Hummus”. Upon closer inspection, the main thing I noticed was, “Six cloves of garlic… SIX?” Now, I like garlic and all, but six cloves of raw garlic is enough to knock down a moose; I took the liberty of halving the amount to three, which is still plenty garlicky.
Hummus is one of those things that’s really a no-brainer, so I’m not going to bore you by waxing poetic about its ins-and-outs. That said, I will leave you with one tip: whip the HELL out of it. Leave the food processor running while you go organize your pens or trim your nose hairs or something – a good three minutes in the food processor leaves it smooth, silky and delightfully fluffy. When served alongside some pillowy pita or crunchy veggies, this hummus reigns supreme in the kingdom of snacks. It even beats guacamole. Yeah, you heard me.
This recipe makes a good amount, perfect for taking to a party, or for keeping in the fridge in an airtight container for snack attacks, or for gifting to friends who really need to ward off those pesky vampires. This is a pretty basic recipe; I encourage you to play it up, with the addition of things like pesto, roasted poblanos or kalamata olives. Make it your own, and make it good! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do. Enjoy!
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Garlicky Hummus
(makes about 2 cups)
Things To Do
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. tahini
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste
pitas, veggies or other dippers
In a food processor, combine the water, tahini and garlic cloves, and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth, about three minutes. Serve drizzled with olive oil, alongside warmed pita or fresh veggies.
Photo slideshow
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Laura Hobbs
Laura is a regular contributor for the Fayetteville Flyer. She was born and raised in Fayetteville. She is a self-proclaimed foodie and avid cook. For more of Laura’s contributions, see her Flyer Foodie author page. For more cooking, recipes, and other food-related inspiration, visit Flyer Foodie on Facebook.
