If your garden looks anything like mine this year you probably have dill plants coming up in random spots throughout your beds. My small garden is replete with dill plants that are about knee high. Note to self: they call it "Dill Weed" for a reason.  Expect it to come back. Regardless of how odd it looks underneath the stairs or next to my perennials, I'm certainly happy to have plants in my garden that reseed themselves and come up next year. Look for more recipes this summer and fall that utilize this bountiful herb.  

Here's a quick recipe for lemon dill hummus you can throw together in less than 15 minutes in your food processor.

Spread on flatbreads or use as a dip for crudites. I quickly whipped this together for an afternoon snack.

Lemon Dill Hummus
Serves 3-4
Note: Double this recipe if you're using it for a small party.

1 can of Eden organic chickpeas, rinsed and lightly drained
juice of one organic lemon
2 whole cloves of garlic (use less if you don't like garlic)
1 T sesame tahini
1/4-1/2 tsp wasabi powder (if you don't have it available substitute a little grated horseradish or skip it entirely)
one quite large handful of dill from your garden, rinsed and patted dry

Combine all ingredients in your food processor and blend until you have a nice consistency for spreading onto flatbreads or dipping vegetables. You'll noticed I skipped adding any oil. The moisture from this hummus comes strictly from the lemon juice and any water clinging to the chickpeas after I rinsed them.

Tip: Roll the lemon on the countertop or table with your palm's gentle force before cutting it in half to juice. It loosens the juice and makes it much easier. I use my hands to juice the lemon. I cup one hand and it catches the seeds as my other hand squeezes it from above. The juice runs between my fingers into the bowl. 




 

From time to time I cater artist's receptions at work, for anywhere between 50 to 150 visitors. For the reception pictured above, here is my menu list of items prepared and assembled that day:

Drink: Cranberry Pineapple Ginger Ale Punch with Pomegranate Seeds

Savory items: 
Roasted Chickpeas
Dates with Goat Cheese Wrapped with Fresh Basil and Proscuitto (served warm)
Blue Cheese Gougeres
Stuffed Olive Bread (baked with assorted olives from Wegman's olive bar) with oregano olive oil for dipping

Sweet items:
Chocolate Chunks with Pistachios and Dried Cherries
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Organic Greek Yogurt and Wildflower Honey

Prepared packaged/ bought items:
(from Giant and Wegmans grocery stores)
Black Pepper and Water Crackers for goat cheeses
Walnut and Maple Spread for assorted donated goat cheeses
Assorted olives from Wegman's Mediterranean Olive Bar
9" Mixed Berry Cheesecake (Giant)

Most of the recipes for the savory and sweet items you can find by performing a simple search on Epicurious.com.
You can search my blog for the recipe for stuffed olive bread. See the below recipe for roasted chickpeas.

Roasted Savory Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
Yield: 2 cups
Time: overnight + 45 mins roasting

1 1/2 cups dried garbanzo beans
2 T organic extra virgin olive oil
2 T raw granulated sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
freshly ground pepper
ground cayenne pepper (to taste)

Soak chickpeas overnight or at least 8 hours in room temperature water. Drain and dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss chickpeas with olive oil and sugar in a bowl, then spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast them in the oven, tossing every 10-15 mins and more frequently toward finishing time. Roast them between 45-50 mins. I burnt them on my first attempt, so watch them carefully as when roasting nuts, it doesn't take very long for them to turn from a golden roasted color to charcoal black. Chickpeas will become crispy and dry.

Upon removing them from the oven while still in a single layer, sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika onto the chickpeas and toss. Season to taste, I like them with a gentle heat. Gently cool and place into a serving bowl.  They'll keep for a day or two, but may soften the longer they are exposed to air.

If you want sweet cinnamon chickpeas, see Epicurious.com's recipe for Crispy Cinnamon Garbanzo Beans from Cookie magazine.  

 

With a can of chickpeas, chopped eggplant, and an array of spices in your pantry you can whip up a vegetarian meal in less than 30 minutes.

Spiced Chickpeas and Eggplant
Serves 2-4

2 cloves minced garlic
2 shallots chopped
1 T tomato paste (organic)
1/2 eggplant diced to 1/2" cubes
1 16 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4-1/2 cup water, set to the side
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
cayenne pepper to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Over medium heat, lightly spray (organic olive oil cooking spray) a large frying pan.  If preferred, coat with extra virgin olive oil, but for a lower fat recipe, use cooking spray. Cook shallots and garlic until tender. Blend in the tablespoon of tomato paste. If the pan becomes too dry add a little bit of water. Add eggplant and dry spices and toss together. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the eggplant is tender. Add the chickpeas. Toss the vegetables for even cooking and to ensure the spice blend has coated all of the added vegetables, and add a little bit of reserved water if it becomes too dry, and to create a paste to cover the vegetables. Add peppers to taste. When vegetables are tender, remove from heat and toss with the fresh chopped parsley. Serve alone or on a bed of grains or rice.