Recipe 3: Zummus!

Ever had hummus? (You know, that classic chickpea-based dip made with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil.)

Well, in the immortal words of Samuel L Jackson in Jurassic Park, "Hold on to your butts" because today I've got a zucchini recipe that uses the classic flavors of hummus but gets its heft from zucchinis instead of chickpeas. I know. Revolutionary!

When I first saw the pin, I imagined we'd be adding zucchini TO the classic hummus, the way I do when I make, say, a roasted red pepper hummus (so delicious, by the way). But when I visited Bobbi's Kosy Kitchen blog and read through her recipe, I saw that there wasn't a chickpea to be found in this dip. Mind blown.

Check it out.

(The name alone makes it worth trying, frankly.)

Zummus!

Yield: About 3 cups dip

Ingredients:

4 medium zucchini (I used a combination of 2 tiny yellows and 3 small zucchini)
2 cloves garlic (the original recipe called for 3)
1 lime, juiced
zest of the same lime
3 Tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup fresh parsley (the original recipe called for cilantro, but that's not a fave around my house so I subbed it out. Feel free to use what you prefer)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, and then in half lengthwise again to make four strips per zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Heat grill pan on medium heat (of course you could do this on your regular outdoor grill, too, but it was raining when I was making it so I stayed indoors and used my grill pan) and brush olive oil on the grates.

3. Grill zucchini 2-3 minutes per side, until grill marks are visible.

4. Once complete, place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. (I HATE my food processor -- this is the one I have -- because, despite looking spiffy and having a 12-cup capacity, the low blade doesn't sit low enough in the bowl and goes right over the low food without chopping it. I also can't seem to get a smooth puree when I make soups or dips.) Add extra olive oil if you need to thin it out.

5. Pour into a bowl. Serve as a spread on sandwich (as the original blog poster did) or as a dip (as I did-- I love it with the crunchy, salty Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips.)

My husband and I enjoyed this zummus as a snack while we sipped a bottle of wine we bought in Sonoma a couple years back. The 2011 Ravenswood Angeli Carignane (this links to the 2013 one) brought out the earthiness of the zummus. There was a smoky nuttiness from the cumin and tahini, and a fresh zing from the parsley and lime. If it's a light snack you seek, this is one to try for sure!

Tomorrow I'll share a yummy side dish that's a ringer for one I love ordering out at a restaurant and features yellow squash!