I was chatting yesterday with a friend who was complaining of a stomachache after lunching on baby carrots (*argh*) and hummus with caramelized onions from WF. After my initial reaction–”duh”, followed closely thereafter by “eew”–I suggested that perhaps caramelized onions were not necessarily a boon to the world of hummus. But then, it seems that in its anodyne ubiquity, anything can be mixed into mass-produced hummus these days and then find its way onto the blighted buffet tables of every social occasion from white-hat keggers to mommy-and-me play dates.

It’s not like store-bought hummus isn’t bad enough already–it is, what with the excreable flavors of stale tahini, the metallic tang of straight-up citric acid, and that ineffable whiff of plastic tub. BUT when the powers that be start adding artichokes, chipotles, olives, horseradish, extra garlic, red peppers, forty (FORTY?!) spices, and tomatoes OR basil–nevermind both–we have a problem. These things do NOT belong in my hummus. And god only knows what French Onion hummus is about. Blech.

So. WHAT to do about this sad state of affairs? No surprises here: make it at home! So much better than the tub stuff. And, if there’s still a yen to add another layer of flavor, how about za’atar? It’s a traditional Levantine seasoning blend that’s ever so tasty–and culturally relevant–sprinkled on hummus (or flatbreads, or chicken, etc.). It goes without saying that there are a bazillion versions of za’atar, but this is the one I’ve come up with. The universal notes seem to be the sesame, thyme (or hyssop, or some variant thereof), and sumac–which lends a red color and lemony brightness to everything. I don’t know much about its other Middle Eastern applications, but it grows in the Northeast as well and Native Americans used to make a pink lemonade-analogue with it.

Of course, one could go the extra mile and cook up the chic peas from scratch, but unless I have a store of really fabulous beans–Rancho Gordo for example–I’m fine with the canned. Rinsing well rids them of any off flavors and you can get this all together in less than 15 minutes. Perfect for an after-work drinks date or, ahem, for a nice lunch at work with hand-cut carrot sticks.

Hummus with Za’atar

2 15oz cans chick peas
~1/4 c tahini
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 c warm water
Olive oil and za’tar (below) for serving

Rinse and drain the chick peas and dump in a food processor. Slice the garlic into whisper thin batons (they catch the processor blade better than a fine dice does) and add with the tahini, 2/3 of the lemon juice, cumin, pepper and salt. Pulse to combine, streaming in a little water (just a little) to get things moving. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon, salt, or pepper if needed. Continue to process, adding a little more water to reach desired consistency. Remember that it will firm up with time and or chilling, and the flavors will also become more pronounced–particularly the garlic.

Spread the hummus on a serving platter, about 3/4″ thick. Sprinkle over the za’atar and drizzle with olive oil. Serve forth with warmed pita cut in wedges, or with crackers and crudite to suit your fancy.

Za’atar

1 tbs ground sumac
1 1/2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 tsp sea salt–use good fleur de sel here
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

In a mortar and pestle, combine ingredients and grind together till evenly combined–but not pasty. Sesames seeds should still be pretty distinct; you’re just mixing everything together and bruising up the thyme.

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