ChattyChic4Design

 Hi All,

      Spring is taking way too long to come her in NY, but lets stay positive and keep on enjoying 
the things we love second best to a warm, beautiful, sunny day... good food.

Here is a delicious recipe for..

 SLOW ROASTED TOMATO & BASIL HUMMUS.

               INGREDIENTS

               * 30 Small Tomatoes, quartered (about half the size of a Roma tomato) or 60

                  cherry tomatoes

               * 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (divided)

               * Salt and Pepper

               * 3 cups Garbanzo Beans (2cans), cooked, skins removed

               * 2 Garlic cloves, peeled

               * juice of 1 large Lemon

               * 1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt

               * 3 tablespoons Tahini

               * 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup Water or reserved garbanzo bean liquid

               * 1/4 cup Fresh Basil Leaves

            DIRECTIONS

             1 - Preheat the oven to 300 degrees

             2 - Place the sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut aside up so that they are 

                  spaced close together, but not touching.  Drizzle the tomatoes with the 

                  1/4 cup olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Place in the

                  preheated oven on the top rack and roast about 2 hours for cherry tomatoes,

                  and 3 hours for larger tomatoes.  Tomatoes are done when they are somewhat 

                  shriveled and the tops have begun to caramelize.  Let tomatoes cool.  Placed 

                  tomatoes and oil in bowl.

              3 - Place the skinned garbanzo beans, garlic cloves, lemon juice, salt, tahini,

                   2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/4 cup of the water in a high speed blender.

                   Process until the mixture is completely smooth.   The mixture may be too 

                   thick to easily blend.  If this is the case, continue adding liquid until it easily

                   blends together.  We use a full 3/4 cup of garbanzo bean liquid, but you may 

                   prefer less if you like your hummus on the thicker side.

               4 - Add 1/2 of the roasted tomatoes to the hummus (do not add the oil it's 

                    sitting in - just what clings to the tomatoes will suffice) and blend again

                    until the mixture is silky and smooth.

               5 - Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl and run a spoon across the top of

                    the hummus to create a swirl.  Spoon the remaining roasted tomatoes over 

                    the top of the hummus, along with the oil.

               6 - Top with small basil leaves.