Farmer’s Market Zucchini Hummus

I adore the Union Square farmer’s market and while I would like to stay in denial, I have to face that as August comes to an end, the surplus of produce there will slowly decrease. As a result, I’m determined to take advantage of the fresh, local fruits and vegetables while I can. The veggies at the farmer’s market are grown locally and usually so fresh that I feel it is a travesty to cook them and so every year, I like to develop a new recipe that highlights the flavors of my farmer’s market finds. Last year, I made a gazpacho that included several vegetables in all their glory but this year I kept it simple and focused on one; the zucchini.

My one and only rule for a trip to the farmer’s market is to do one entire walk around before purchasing anything. Chances are, if something seems too pricey, it is and there will be another vendor selling the same thing at a more competitive price close by. It is a market, after all. As a result of scoping, I found my zucchini at 2 for a dollar and as you can see, there was not a thing wrong with them! My first thought was to bring them home, slice them up and eat them with or without some Sabras hummus but that wouldn’t have made for much of a recipe to post. Instead, I decided to make the zucchini into hummus and I’m so glad I did because it may be my favorite recipe to date. It took five minutes to make (including clean up) and I spent the week slathering pretzels, vegetables, bread, pitas, and anything else I could find with the healthy, creamy dip.

2 large zucchini, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup of tahini butter

1/4 cup of sunflower seed butter (you could sub tahini but the sunflower butter added a unique taste)

10 leave of fresh cilantro (this is optional and you can decrease it according to preference, I just love the clean taste and scent of cilantro)

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of paprika

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

1-2 cloves of garlic (also optional)

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor (I use and love a contraption called a Ninja) with the liquids on the bottom. Blend until smooth and enjoy on anything… and I mean anything savory!