My garden has been my therapy and not just during the Corona pandemic, but for the last couple of decades.
I was talking with my twins the other day, who are now officially adults at 21 (!), and as I usually do, marveling at the difference in personalities. I find it endlessly fascinating that two people could grow up side by side with each other, and be so similar and so different at the same time. My son, the artist who revels in his alone time is an introvert all the way, my daughter is an extrovert with a brush of introvert in her. I would say I am an introvert who sporadically dabbles in the extrovert world.
I believe that gardens are for introverts, being that plants don’t talk, or talk back. But they feel, and if you are quiet enough, you can communicate with them. I have been doing this for the last few months, and it has paid off in a big way. My garden is booming right now.
Love your plants and they will love you back.
I just pulled out the most amazing beets from my garden the other day, and when my sister suggested I make a beet hummus, I went to work to create a great recipe.
Second to sitting quietly in my garden? Creating quietly in my kitchen.
Beets give traditional hummus a beautiful garnet color that makes this dip so interesting. To keep that color alive, I also decided to use white beans rather than traditional chickpeas, which might have muted the color. The flavor was all still there and so delicious.
Besides being so good for you (vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, fiber, the list goes on), beets in hummus help bulk up this dip without adding extra calories, allowing you to eat more, while really, you are eating less.
As we socially distanced this past weekend for my twin’s birthday, I served this Roasted Beet and White Bean Hummus in individual cups with sliced cucumbers and pita. Everyone oohed and aaahed and agreed that it was a keeper. Hopefully, you can wow with this dip at your next party too.
Roasted Beet and White Bean Hummus
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Roasted Beet and White Bean Hummus
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: roast and blend
Description
Beets give traditional hummus a beautiful garnet color that makes this dip so interesting. To keep that color alive, I also decided to use white beans rather than traditional chickpeas, which might have muted the color. The flavor was all still there and so delicious.
Ingredients
8 medium to large beets, different colors are fine
1 32–ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed well
2 tablespoons tahini
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon each coarse salt and pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
Instructions
1. Roast the beets: preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Carefully cut the ends and peel the beets (I put gloves on to do this job, beets will easily stain your hands and cutting board). Cut the beets into cubes and place on a sheet pan lined with foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes, until beets can easily be pierced with a fork. You should have about 3 cups of beets.
2. Once the beets have roasted, place them, along with the beans, tahini, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper, and cumin into a food processor. Mix until well blended (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides once or twice). Taste the hummus, you might want to add a dash more salt.
3. Gently mix in the mint. Serve with cucumbers, carrots, or whole grain pita chips.
