Carousing Cucumber Rounds with Rummy Hummus
- 1 (14-ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained thoroughly
- 2 canned chipotle peppers, stemmed if necessary, with a teaspoon of the adobo sauce they were canned with (add more peppers, if desired)
- 1large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
- 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3tablespoons tahini (mixed well before measuring)
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons white rum (or more to taste)
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1large English (seedless) cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped at the supermarket)
- 1tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet just until golden brown
- In a medium bowl, place the chickpeas, chipotles, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, white rum, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Puree with an immersion blender, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Or use a standing blender (see note below).
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the cucumber skin lengthwise at 1/4-inch intervals to create a striped pattern around the circumference of the cucumber and slice it crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds. If the cucumber skin is tough, peel the entire cucumber. Arrange the cucumber discs on a platter.
- To assemble, just before serving, lightly salt the cucumber rounds. Top each round with a generous teaspoon of hummus. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Note: If you use a food processor to make this spread, you won’t get a perfectly smooth texture.
–From the book The Tipsy Vegan, by John Schlimm. Reprinted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2011.