Well, it is just a smashingly beautiful day in Decatur!  The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and our windows are wide open.  It’s a perfect day for a little Spring Cleaning and some intermittent cooking.  We’re having a couple of friends over tonight to watch The Walking Dead, so I whipped up a batch of white bean hummus to serve as an appetizer.  It’s super quick and easy to make and uses just a few ingredients.

I thought I’d share it with y’all before I move onto the main event- slow roasted pork loin with parsnip and carrot puree and local brussel sprouts cooked two ways.  Aw yeah.

That’s our pork brining away…in carrot juice, apple juice, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and a bunch of aromatic seeds.  It’s gonna be awesome.  The anticipation is half the fun, I think.

To make the hummus, rinse and drain 1 can of white beans, peel the paper off 2 cloves of garlic,

pull off a handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, and place it all in your food processor.  Squeeze in the juice of one lemon, add one tablespoon of tahini (sesame paste), and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Pulse your ingredients to combine them well.

Next, slowly stream in Extra Virgin Olive Oil as you blend at full speed.  I added about 1/4 Cup of olive oil.

Then, stop and taste your dip.  This is the time to adjust your seasoning.  Feel free to add a pinch of paprika or red pepper flakes, if you are so inclined.  I felt like the flavor of my hummus was just right, but I wanted it to move a little more freely- allowing for proper dunking consistency.  So, I added about 2 tablespoons of water to the food processor and whirred one last time.

And, boom!!

A totally delicious appetizer or mid-afternoon snack, made in minutes.  You can serve this hummus with flat bread or crackers, raw veggies, or just with a spoon.  Honestly, I had to force myself to put the spoon in the dishwasher and cover the dip for later.

I certainly hope that you are enjoying this spectacular, sunshiny day- complete with yummy treats.  I’m going to continue doing just that myself.

Happy cooking and eating to you.

ashli