The neighborhood book club met recently and our hostess Mary, passed out Tahini to all of us in the club as our starter.  My family really likes hummus, and we often nosh through serious amounts of it.  Yours truly decided to make a batch from scratch.  By volume it was more of a vat.  On the  wall of  my extremely talented friend Cecilia Tompkins ( my former Bible-study co-leader who also quilts, knits, embroiders, models in commercials, parents 3 boys and is a sewer extraordinaire) was her admission to  whipping up a batch.  What is a Mom to do?  Cuisinart some for the Southards.   Two hummus billboards showed themselves and I was up for the challenge.  Off to the HEB market, first to snag a few bags of various beans for the pantry and a bag of garbanzos (chick peas) for the hummus.  Our neighborhood book club read Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and we are encouraging each other to cook fresh items for our families.  The recipe we all used is from Magloubeh and the Great Diplomat.

                              “Start the Party ” Hummus

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas…I made my own as you’ll see below

2 tablespoons of olive oil…4 or 5 is better if you cook up a 1/2 bag of beans like I did

Juice of two lemons

3 cloves of garlic… I used prechopped and added 5 tablespoons

1/2 cup of tahini

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt to taste

Threw the beans in my crock pot and cooked them all day on low.  They did not cook thoroughly, very chewy, and for the last two hours I cranked the pot to high and the beans caught a few bubbles and softened finally.  Throw about 1/2 the beans in a large food processor and whirl away.  Add a few splashes of evoo, the rest of the above ingredients and serve with warm pita.  Rona Mertink brought by fresh radishes from her garden, a perfect companion for hummus,  and dip away.

Resting in Him, Trish