Tuesday at the Table

I love hummus, I really do. I have a favorite recipe I make often. And I have a favorite purchased variety I also enjoy often. But when I read the recent post by Smitten Kitchen about her "Ethereally Smooth Hummus," I have no doubt my jaw {literally} dropped.

Source: smittenkitchen.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Friends, she suggests, somewhat hesitantly, to peel the chickpeas!

In all my years of foodie-ness, I have never ever heard of doing such a thing. But you probably aren't surprised that I just had to try it! And you know, it took just a few minutes - 10 maybe. And it wasn't hard. Maybe it could even be considered relaxing.

And before I knew it, I had peeled, blended till powdery, added to, and drizzled in to create a mighty fine tasting hummus. Though Deb calls her hummus dollop-able, her pics make it look very creamy. Mine was more the dollop-able variety. Ethereally smooth on the tongue? Definitely. Delicious enough to make again? For sure. Better than my own scoop-able recipe? Well, not necessarily.

But you can bet I'll be trying this again - maybe next time soaking dried beans first. At any rate, it was a fun and tasty experiment.

My friend Pam deserves full credit for 'my' hummus recipe. I didn't really care for hummus until I tasted hers years ago. And what made me a convert, I think, was the garlic. Do try Deb's recipe. It's good. But if you're not into peeling, try Pam's and mine. It's a keeper.

Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans (15 oz.) -- drained, but save liquid
1/4 cup tahini
1 Tb. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
6 cloves garlic -- crushed (6 to 8)
1 t. sea salt
pepper to taste
paprika to garnish

Chop garbanzos in food processor; add rest of ingredients, including 1/2 of reserved liquid. Blend until smooth. Pour into serving bowl & sprinkle with paprika. Serve with triangles of soft pita bread OR crisp pita chips.

So do you have something from your table to share? I hope so. Link up here.