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Here are some great recipes that utilize ingredients available around Mystic, CT. We have designed these recipes so that they are interesting, easy to replicate, and generate a minimal amount of mess.

New England Hummus


Seems like everybody has their own idea of what hummus should taste like so the amounts I give are starting points. Read some recipe reviews, and the comments are all over the place; "Way too much/little lemon," "Way too much/little tahini," "Too thin," "Too much/little garlic." This is all on the same recipe! So add the water a little at a time, and perfect the garlic, lemon, and salt at the end. The real key is perfecting the garlic (see recipe for black bean hummus). I have included all the steps including a suggested work flow so you can make it fast and without a mess.

Ingredients

15 oz can of Chickpeas drained. Goya is a good brand of canned chickpeas. (Double the amounts for a large can 1 lb 13oz)
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil for finishing
2 TBS Tahini (I use Soom brand tahini)
2 TBS Fresh lemon juice
Paprika to sprinkle at end
1/2 teaspoon cumin powdered or better yet use seeds and pulverize them in a mortar
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1. Open the canned chick peas and pour them into a pyrex bowl.

Now hold the chick peas back and pour the liquid back into the can to be used later for thinning the hummus. Add about a cup of water to the chick peas along with about 1 tsp of baking soda, and cook for 2 minutes in a microwave on high. This step softens the outer skin of the chickpeas and makes it easier to remove them. The consensus is that the skins only serve to make a less-smooth hummus. If you're in a big hurry you can skip this step.

2. While the chickpeas are cooking with baking soda, get your garlic ready. Use a garlic press and crush the garlic right into a small skillet. Add the cumin, salt, and a TBS of olive oil. Cook over a very low heat being careful not to brown the garlic. The best way to do this is to watch it util it starts to sizzle/bubble, stir it around and cut the heat. If you you try to just keep it cooking slowly, you will forget it and it will get brown and bitter; You then will have to toss it and start over.

3. Pour the chickpeas into a bowl, or just fill up the pot with cool water. Rub the chickpeas gently between your hands to loosen the skins; they will peel off easily. Now pour off most of the water and any skins that are floating; its like prospecting for gold. Add more water and repeat a few times. You won't get all of the skins but the majority can be easily removed.


4. Add the lemon juice to the garlic,

then pour it into a blender or food processor. Add the Tahini and blend on high for a minute this will further mince the cooked garlic. While this is blending, clean your pan, garlic press etc..

5. Stop the blender and add the drained chick peas. Blend on high. Drizzle in a little of the reserved juice from the can until the mixture is wet enough to blend. Blend for several minutes while you clean up.

5. Now test for salt, garlic, and lemon. Adjust as needed. Add a little at a time. If the hummus is too thick, loosen it up with a little more reserved juice.

6. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika. Top with nothing or oven baked chickpeas, olives, or even a main course like leg/thigh from rotisserie chicken. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to a week.