Hummus

I really love hummus.   Shop bought hummus is  really convenient, readily available and really convenient to use. But how much better is homemade . . .  I adore homemade hummus.  It's quite easy to make nd not very time consuming and boy, is it ever delicious.  I enjoy serving and eating it with raw vegetable sticks and toasted pita's for a really healthy snack.



And when I was recently sent some lovely olive oils, I decided that it would be the perfect opportunity for me to show you my foolproof recipe for my own homemade hummus.  But first  . . .  about the olive oil  . . .

I do love olive oil. I mean, properly love it and I always have various bottles around the kitchen.  I have extra virgin for salads, Italian olive oil, Greek olive oil, Spanish Olive oil . . .  light olive oil for cooking, flavour infused olive oil, etc. I think at the last count there were probably about eight different bottles.  Our Spanish girl Ariana turned me onto using it instead of butter on my toast when she was here.   So when I heard about Pomora olive oil and was asked if I would like to try some and adopt an olive tree, I said yes immediately!

Pomora is a new service that ensures you'll always have access to some of the finest Italian olive oil you will ever taste, and I don't make that suggestion lightly.   This is great olive oil.   With this service you adopt an olive tree and receive quarterly delivers of three 250ml tins of premium extra virgin olive oil from your very own tree, while knowing you are also supporting hard-working olive growers.  Adopting an olive tree through Pomora also makes the perfect original gift for food lovers.



Pomora works with two growers . . .  Carmelo from Sicily and Antonio from Campania . . .  and they can even help to arrange a trip to visit your grower.  Both families have been producting top-class olive oil for generations and both Carmelo and Antonio are gold medalists at the New York International Olive Oil Competition.  My olive oil came from the farm of Antonio, tree number 523.

Each quarterly delivery of Pomora includes three 250ml tins of premium olive oil:

Shipment 1:  Olio Nuovo - The youngest, fresest oliveoil, it's bottled directly after harvest, olio nuovo is unfiltered, has a vibrant green colour, a distinct fresh flavour and a pizzicante finish.

Shipment 2:  Three flavoured oils - Lemon, Chilli, and Rosemary - flavoured with locally sourced ingredients by the olive producers, these are made with a milder extra virgin olive oil, which allows the flavours to shine through.

Shipment 3.:  Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Complex flavours intertwine and marry with a healthy finishing kick to produce a great base for vinaigrettes, focaccia or simply as a dip.

Shipment 4:  Three flavoured oils - Basil, Garlic and White Truffle.

To find out more about this service, prices etc.  Click on the home page.

Pomora is a portmanteau of Pomona - the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance who watches over fruit trees, gardens and orchards and cares for their cultivation - and Hora - the Latin word for time; reflecting the combination of respect for nature and the gifts she bestows upon us and the bringing of traditional methods into the internet age.

Twitter:  @PomoraGoodFood
Instragram:  @PomoraGoodFood
Facebook:  /pomoragoodfood

   



Now back to my hummus.  When I worked at the big house I had to have a pot of homemade hummus in the refrigerator all the time for Miss Nibs.   But it had to be low fat.  She was always on a diet.  It also couldn't have too much garlic in it as she didn't want garlic breath, etc.  It wasn't fun, nor did I think it was very tasty.  Blah!



Nobody can say that about my own recipe.   It's filled with lovely flavour and has a brilliant texture.  I really get the flavour of garlic in there by simmering tinned chick peas with some garlic first, in a pot of fresh water.  Not only does this help to mellow the garlic by taking away from the harsh sharpness of using raw garlic, but it also takes away any tinny  flavour from the tinned chick peas.



I don't overuse the tahini as some people do, so that the flavours stay clean and not bitter.  I also like to toast whole cumin seeds, before grinding them, which really helps to bring out that lovely spicey flavour without it being overpowering.  A bit of yogurt and some of the simmering liquid helps to add to the creaminess.

 

All in all, it's deeply satisfying and the bit of crunch I add to it by sprinkling the top with some toasted pine nuts, the heat from a few crushed dried chillies, the freshness from the fresh parsley and then a final drizzle of a really good olive oil are it's crowning glories.  (I used lemon infused olive oil here to really give it a good kick!)  I hope I think you'll really enjoy this!

*Perfect Hummus*

Makes 400g or 14 ounces

4 servings

Printable Recipe  

The perfect hummus can often be hard to find in the shops.  More often than not it can be somewhat disappointing and lacklustre.  Why not just make your own.  It's easy to make and a lot taster! 

1 410g of chickpeas (14 ounce tin)

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

approximately 2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon (may need more

according to taste)

2 TBS tahini paste

2 TBS plain Greek yogurt (I like total)

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste 

To finish:

toasted pine nuts crushed dried chilies, chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (If you can get the lemon one, it's fabuous!)

 

Empty the tin of chick peas into a colander and drain well.  Tip into a saucepan and cover with just enough clean water to cover.  Add the garlic.   Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for five minutes.  Drain in a seive, Keeping as much of the garlic as you can and reserving about 5 TBS of the cooking liquid.

Heat the cumin seeds in a small heavy based skillet until they become very fragrant, shaking the pan from time to time to prevent them from burning.  Grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar.  (Alternately you can use 1/2 to 3/4 tsp ground cumin and toast it in the skillet in much the same way, just until fragrant)

Reserve a few chickpeas for the garnish and place the rest into a food processor along with any garlic you have saved.  (I use my mini processor and it works great.)  Add the reserved cooking liquid and lemon juice.  Process until smooth.   Tip in the tahini yogurt, olive oil and cumin.  Process until thick and smooth.  Season to taste with salt and blitz briefly again.  Taste and adjust, adding more lemon or salt if required.  Scrape into a serving bowl.   Allow to cool to room temperature.



 

Garnish the top of the hummus with the reserved chick peas, some toasted pine nuts, crushed chillies, chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.   Serve with crudites, crusty bread, pita crisps or bread, etc.


Not a bad way to start September I'd say!!!

Note - Although I was sent the olive oil for free, I was not required to write a positive review.  Any and all opinions are my own.