By Cathy Thomas | Correspondent
The photos and recipes in a new cookbook made me hungry. It’s a collection of flavorful formulas sourced from the iconic San Francisco vegetarian eatery, Greens Restaurant. “Seasons of Greens” by Katie Reicher, Greens’ executive chef, showcases dishes that celebrate vegetables, utilizing the seasonal harvests of local farmers and Green Gulch, the restaurant’s organic gardens.
Eager to taste Chef Reicher’s dishes, I recently dined at Greens Restaurant while on a visit to see my Bay Area daughter and her family. We started our meal with the Green Goddess Hummus served with pita bread. It was deliciously creamy, with the buttery flavor of avocado dancing joyfully with the garbanzo beans and plentiful herbs.
“We prefer the hummus with a bit of texture,” Reicher wrote. “But, if you prefer a completely smooth hummus, start off mixing the herbs, olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend again until hummus comes together. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.”
Green Goddess Hummus
Yield: 3 cups
INGREDIENTS
1 medium avocado
2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked and cooled (or canned garbanzo beans, drained)
1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons packed fresh dill, stems removed
2 tablespoons packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green garlic coins or 1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
For serving: Pita bread, cut into triangles, toasted if desired
Cook’s notes: At the restaurant olive oil was drizzled atop the hummus along with a sprinkling of chopped fresh mint.
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the avocado in half and remove pit. Using a spoon, cut the avocado in chunks and then scoop out from the skin into the bowl of a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the hummus comes together and a little texture remains.
Source: adapted from “Seasons of Greens” by Katie Reicher
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com
