Beet Hummus

by Christopher Totaro

Editor's note: Chris submitted this before July 4th, and though we're just posting it now, we think it's an amazing recipe for a barbecue any time!

Everyone is always trying to concoct colorful Fourth of July-themed dishes. Most include strawberries and blueberries or other colorful fruit combinations. Serve up this blue-ribbon ruby with some Stone Ground Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and you’ve got all the fireworks that you’ll need! Your Bar-B-Que Buddies will be impressed. 

​Some of the store-bought beet hummus that I’ve had is a bit too sweet for me. The dill in this recipe helps to tone down the sweetness a bit and nicely compliments the earthy notes of the beets. But go easy with the dill; I found that a little goes a long way.

​Ingredients:
2 large red beets
1 15.5-oz can chickpeas, rinsed
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus extra for roasting beets & garlic)
juice from 1/2 lemon
4 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh dill
3 teaspoons dried cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
            
Directions:
✼ Preheat the oven to 500°F
✼ Lay beets on two layers of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper (I also spray the beets with coconut oil spray so that the salt and pepper stick nicely)
✼ Wrap tightly and place in pre-heated oven for one hour and fifteen minutes
✼ After an hour of roasting add the garlic cloves to the tinfoil package so that the garlic can roast with the beets for about fifteen minutes
✼ Remove the tinfoil package from the oven
✼ Once cool enough to handle, quarter the beets and place it in a high-speed blender
✼ Add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt & pepper. 
✼ Blend on high speed until smooth