This has been my favorite snack/lunch/dinner this summer! Homemade hummus with fresh tomatoes and peppers from the garden, green onions and other veggies from the framers market.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups chickpeas Canned or dry chickpeas? If you’re wondering how to make hummus from scratch–the best, extra creamy, authentic stuff–you’ll want to cook your own chickpeas.
1 or 2 cloves garlic finely minced. Tip: to tame its pungency, allow minced garlic to sit in a little bit of lemon juice for a few minutes.
1/3 cup tahini
Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of spirulina sprinkles (let them soak in a tiny bit of water for 20 min or more)
A pinch of salt to your liking
A generous drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Soak and cook the chickpeas
If using dry chickpeas allow extra time for soaking (overnight) and cooking (2 hours).
Take 1 cup dry chickpeas and place it in a large bowl. Add plenty of water and soak overnight (chickpeas will expand in the bowl). When ready, drain chickpeas and place them in a medium-sized heavy cooking pot. Cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You should end up with about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.
If using canned chickpeas, give them a quick 20 minute simmer in plenty of water to help soften them some more.

Peel the chickpeas
Cover the cooked chickpeas in hot water and add 1 1/2 tsp baking soda. Leave for a few minutes. Take a handful of chickpeas and rub under running water to remove the skins. Discard skins. Let the chickpeas cool completely before using.

Puree the chickpeas in a food processor
Dry the chickpeas well then add them to the bowl of a food processor. Run the processor until the chickpeas turn into a smooth powder-like paste.

Add the rest and keep blending
While the food processor is running, add a couple of tabelspoons of water, tahini, salt, lemon juice and spirulina sprinkles. Blend for a few minutes. Check, and if the consistency is too thick still, run processor and slowly add a little hot water. Blend until you reach desired silky smooth consistency. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the hummus for an hour or so before serving.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish
Spread the hummus in a serving bowl and add a generous drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. Add a few chickpeas to the middle if you like and sprinkle spirulina sprinkles on top. Or garnish with pinon nuts and/or diced black olives or fresh parsley.

Enjoy with warm pita wedges and your favorite veggies.