B&B; Owner Needs Recipes For Hummus And Tahini

Dear Laura: I’d like to know how to make hummus and tahini. (I have pounds of sesame seeds in the freezer!) As the co-owner of and cook for a newly opened bed and breakfast, I thought hummus with pita wedges would be welcomed by my guests. Looking forward to your reply. - Ann, Coeur d’Alene.

Dear Ann: For a milder flavor, substitute roasted garlic for the raw garlic in this hummus. To make larger batches of tahini than recommended here, consider the recipe in Rombauer and Becker’s “Joy of Cooking.” Both homemade and commercial tahini tend to separate; stir to blend before each use.

Hummus (Chickpea-Tahini Spread)

Recipe adapted from “Jane Brody’s Good Food Book.” About this recipe she writes: “My own hummus recipe is more complicated to prepare than the usual versions, but it is worth the extra effort. Preparation tip: Hummus can be made hours ahead. If tahini is unavailable, you can make it in a blender by combining 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon oil, 2 tablespoons water and 1/4 cup of finely ground (in a blender or mortar with pestle) sesame seeds.”

1 large onion, minced

1 to 2 cloves minced garlic, to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed if canned

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

Salt, if desired, to taste

1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste), purchased or freshly made

1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted and ground

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the vegetables are soft.

In a blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas with the onion and garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, tahini and sesame seeds. Serve the hummus with pita, fresh or toasted, and/or as a dip for fresh vegetables.

Yield: 3 cups.

Cook’s note: To toast sesame seeds, place in a baking pan with low sides and bake at 350 degrees, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Dear Laura: I’m looking for a recipe for hot and spicy tomato juice. Perhaps you can come up with one. Southwest Airlines serves it, but I don’t know the brand. Thanks for your assistance. - Melba, Nine Mile Falls.

Dear Melba: I suggest starting with this tomato-vegetable blended juice recipe and adding a few flakes of crushed red pepper or a few drops of hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco. The vegetable juice combination is full-flavored. The pepper adds the “hot.”

This recipe is from the newest “Ball Blue Book Guide to Home Canning, Freezing and Dehydration, Volume 1,” published by Alltrista Corp., the licensed distributor for Ball products. In this new edition, Alltrista preserved Ball’s tradition of kitchen-tested recipes with U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved methods. They’ve expanded the dehydrating and special diet sections. Gourmet recipes have been added for items such as flavored vinegars, salsas, low-sugar spreads and pickled foods.

The “Ball Blue Book” is usually available near food-preservation supplies in supermarkets, produce markets, and hardware and discount department stores. Because many sold out of their supplies earlier in the season, you may have to request a special order from your store or order directly from Alltrista Consumer Products Co., P.O. Box 2005, Muncie, IN 47307-0005. Send a check or money order for $5.95 (includes shipping and handling) along with your request, or use a credit card and order by phone. Call 1-800-859-2255 between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m., weekdays.

Tomato Garden Juice Blend

22 pounds tomatoes

3/4 cup diced carrots

3/4 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup parsley

1 tablespoon salt, optional

Bottled lemon juice or citric acid

Wash tomatoes; drain. Remove core and blossom ends. Cut into quarters. Combine tomatoes and vegetables in a large saucepot; simmer 20 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Press mixture through a sieve or food mill. Stir in salt, if desired.

Heat juice 5 minutes at 190 degrees. DO NOT BOIL. Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid to each quart jar. (If using pint jars, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid in each jar.) Ladle hot juice into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 40 minutes or quarts 45 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Yield: About 14 pints or 7 quarts.

Did you know: Reliable food preservation advice is just a phone call away. Cooperative extension services in most counties throughout the nation answer food preservation questions, provide U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved recipes and teach food preservation workshops. Find their phone number under listings for the county government or the state’s land-grant university (such as Washington State University or the University of Idaho).

Spokane County’s Food Safety Advisers (formerly Master Food Preservers) are available at 533-2048 on weekdays from 9 a.m. until noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. this month. The afternoon hours will continue through September and October.

Kootenai County Extension’s Food and Nutrition Educator and/or a Master Food Preserver can be reached during business hours year-round at (208) 667-6426. Beginning August 30, they are offering a series of classes titled “Preserve Gourmet Foods,” as follows:

Aug. 30, “What To Do With Zucchini and Tomatoes.”

Sept. 6, “Caring For Fall Fruits - Apples and Pears.”

Sept. 21, “Home Canning Fish.”

Oct. 5, “Soap Making.”

Oct. 12, “Gifts From the Kitchen.”

Fee for all classes is $2, except soap making, which costs $3. Preregister at least 5 days before the workshops by calling 667-6426.

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