L ifestyle /C ulture
Summer Hummus and Salatim
F OO D
AlexPro9500 / iStock / Getty Images Plu
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
I AM A HUGE FAN of
hummus. It’s something that
we always have in the fridge.

Mostly, I buy a quality brand at
the supermarket, but every so
often I get the urge to make my
own and, gosh, it is good!
I’ve developed a recipe
that is based on Michael
Solomonov’s hummus. No, I
am not for a second claiming
to have improved on the
decorated chef’s recipe; rather,
I have created a version of his
dish that works in my kitchen
with my equipment, my level of
patience and my willingness to
fuss with the ingredients.

Further fan-girling the
esteemed chef, I created a few
summer salatim recipes to
go with the hummus. I have
written about salatim before
— and the recipes generally
required cooking the vegetables
— in the case of my eggplant,
twice, but with the heat waves
that roll through our fair city
in summer, roasting vegetables
is not tempting. Fortunately,
local summer produce is so
fresh and delicious that
cooking is not required. I did
some “refrigerator pickling,”
and the results were quite good.

We paired this with some
crusty whole grain bread, and
dinner was sorted out for two
days. And if you don’t have the
time or inclination to make
your own hummus, don’t
bother. You can buy a quality
brand from a grocery store
or takeout from a restaurant,
and round out your meal with
salads and bread.

in half.

For the chickpeas:
1.5 pounds chickpeas
Pinch baking soda
Soak the
chickpeas overnight, if desired, or do
an “express” soak by bringing
them to a boil, removing them
from the heat and letting them
sit for an hour. Regardless of
your soaking method, drain
the peas and start the cooking
process with fresh water.

If you don’t have the time
or inclination to soak, fear not.

They may take a bit longer to
cook, but that’s not the end of
the world. Cover them with
water, add a pinch of baking
soda and bring it to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover and keep
it at a simmer for several hours
until the chickpeas are soft
and mushy. You can’t really
overcook them.

bland, puree some more garlic
with lemon juice and salt, and
For the tahina:
add it to the tahina.

5 cloves garlic, peeled
When the chickpeas are
4 lemons, cut in wedges
done, drain them and return
Salt to taste (be generous —
them to the pot. Pour the
start with a teaspoon)
dressing into the pot and, using
1 15-ounce can tahini
an immersion
blender, puree to
Cold water
your desired texture. Add salt
In a blender, place the garlic or lemon juice if needed. Serve
and lemon wedges with a few warm or chilled with salatim,
pinches of salt. Puree. Add if desired.

some water to let the mixture
move around to blend if QUICK PICKLED
needed. It should be smooth CUCUMBERS WITH
and thick when done. Pour this CILANTRO
mixture into a strainer over Serves 4 with other sides/salads
a bowl and press the solids to
capture all the liquid, Make A note on the cucumbers: If
sure you get it all, as this is you use Persian or English
where the flavor comes from.

cucumbers, they don’t really
Pour this back into the need to be peeled, which is my
blender and add the tahini. preference. But if you can’t get
Puree again, adding cold water your hands on those, just peel
as needed to loosen it up; you and slice the cukes — or be
may need to add up to a cup OK with a thicker skin. This
to achieve the right texture. It will keep for several days in
should be pourable, but kind of the fridge, and the flavors will
thick. Taste the tahina. If it is deepen.

2 cucumbers, sliced into
discs 2 tablespoons white vinegar
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a
small bowl. Let it sit at room
temperature for an hour or
two, or longer in the fridge.

QUICK PICKLED CARROTS
WITH DILL
Serves 4 with other sides/salads
I feel the same way about
carrots that I do about most
vegetables: Peeling is optional.

4-6 carrots, cut in coins
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a
small bowl. Let it sit at room
temperature for an hour or
two, or longer in the fridge. l
HUMMUS Serves 8-10 generously
This recipe makes quite a
bit; fortunately, it keeps in
the fridge for several days. If
you wish to make a smaller
quantity, you can cut the recipe
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM JEWISH EXPONENT
JULY 22, 2021
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