Hummus

1 carrot, quartered
1 cup dried chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
1 bay leaf
1 onion, quartered
2 tablespoons tahini
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Cayenne pepper, large pinch
Extra virgin olive oil, for ganish
Paprika, for garnish

Place the chickpeas in a bowl, add 1 quart water, and soak overnight (I sometimes skip this step).

Drain the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan with 2 quarts water (or enough to cover the chickpeas by 2 inches) and add the bay leaf, onion, and carrot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very tender.  Skim the surface, if you desire (I usually don't).

Discard the bay leaf, and optionally, the onion and carrot.  Drain well, reserving the cooking liquid and leave  the chickpeas until they are cool enough to handle. Pick through for any loose skins and discard.  (Usually I just leave them in and blend them up with everything else, but you can take them out if you want to.)

Blend the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt (and the onion and carrot if you opted to retain them) in a food processor or Vitamix blender until thick and smooth.  With the motor running, gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, about 3/4 cup, to form a smooth creamy puree.  Season  as desired with salt and lemon juice.  Spread into a bowl or plate, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with paprika over the top.  Serve with warm pita bread, crackers, pita chips, or cabbage chips (our favorite--just cup raw cabbage into wedge and dip into the hummus--it is delicious!). Other vegetables are also very good served with hummus as a dip: carrots, celery, sliced red or green pepper,etc.

Tips: Cook the whole bag of chickpeas and make a huge batch of hummus.  Divide the finished batch into about parts and freeze three of them.  Eat the other part of course.  Hummus freezes extremely well and it is always nice to have some on hand.

Also, refrigerated hummus has a short shelf life, so either eat it quickly (which is never a burden) or freeze it.