Dill Hummus And Toasted Pita Wedges Recipes

Steps:

• Cover the chickpeas with 3 cups water in a large pot with 1 teaspoon baking soda and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to soak.
• The next day, strain the chickpeas and discard the soaking liquid. Rinse the chickpeas and return them to the pot. Add the remaining teaspoon baking soda and water to cover by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, until the chickpeas are very soft and creamy (not crumbly) when pressed between a thumb and forefinger, about 40 minutes. If the liquid boils off while cooking, add more water to cover and continue to cook.
• Strain the chickpeas and discard the liquid. Let the chickpeas sit in the strainer to drain and dry out for 5 minutes. Put the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor along with the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, all but a pinch of the dill and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and process until the mixture is a paste, scraping down the bowl as necessary. With the motor running, slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the ice water and continue to process until the mixture is smooth and light, about 5 minutes, adding more water a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl and cover by lightly pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the hummus; let sit at room temperature until ready to serve, up to 1 hour. (The hummus can also be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Take the hummus out of the refrigerator to warm up 30 minutes before serving.)
• Before serving, remove the plastic wrap from the hummus. Smooth the outer rim of the hummus with the back of a large kitchen spoon, creating a slight well in the center. Dollop the yogurt in the center. Scatter the radish slices and capers on top, sprinkle with the reserved dill and serve with slices of pumpernickel bread and cucumbers.

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE HUMMUS: Combine the chickpeas, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, salt, lemon juice, and tahini in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add just enough olive oil through the feed tube to get the mixture turning, usually about 2 tablespoons. (Too much oil at the beginning will prevent the finer pieces of chickpea from grinding smoothly, creating a coarse blend.) Scrape down the sides. Run the processor until the chickpeas are ground completely. Once the mixture is smooth, slowly add up to 4 tablespoons more olive oil to achieve a silky consistency. The folks at High's say, "Run your machine a long time. We almost whip it." I let the machine run for another 3 minutes or so. Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl; set aside.
• TO MAKE THE PITA CRISPS: Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a knife, slit open the pitas along their edges and pull each apart into 2 rounds. With a pastry brush, lightly paint both sides of each pita half with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with salt and cut each round into 8 wedges. Lay the pita wedges in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake until light golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• To serve, drizzle olive oil over the hummus and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Accompany with pita crisps, Greek olives, and chopped fresh tomatoes.
• Tahini is made by pulverizing sesame seeds into a paste with a consistency similar to peanut butter. Many regular grocery stores stock tahini, so ask for help if you can't easily find it yourself, or try stores that specialize in Middle Eastern food.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Halve pitas horizontally to form 8 rounds and lightly brush rough sides with oil. Season pitas with salt and cut each round into 6 wedges.
• Arrange wedges in one layer on 2 baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Cool toasts. Toasts may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.