Hummus

This recipe is derived from "Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, & Lebanon" by Claudia Roden.

• 1 1/4 cups cooked peas or beans (tonight, I'm using frozen butter peas cooked in only water)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons tahini
• juice of 2 lemons
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• salt (I didn't use any)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Option tonight: make a star design with lines of paprika and ground cumin.
• Other: Sprinkle on plenty of finely chopped parsley; or sprinkle with ground sumac and a little chopped, flat parsley; or garnish with a few whole boiled peas, or with pine nuts lightly fried in oil.

Blend the peas or beans to a puree in the food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients except the oil and add a little of the cooking water -- just enough to blend it to a soft, creamy paste.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Pour into a shallow dish and drizzle over the olive oil.  Garnish as desired.

Skordalia (Garlic Sauce)

I made this with leftover mashed white potatoes that had been in the fridge a few days.   Recipe is from "Greek Cookery: 300 Traditional Recipes" by Aspasia Angelikopoulu.

• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 150 gr. boiled potatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1-2 tsp vinegar (I use apple cider)
• salt

Peel and mash the garlic to a paste.  Add the potatoes and mash.  Add 1-2 teaspoons vinegar and dribble in the oil, mixing constantly.  Serve the skordalia garnished with olives.

Variations: 1. A little lemon may be added along with the olive oil.  2. The potatoes may be replaced with crustless bread, which has been soaked in water and squeezed.