[1] Carrot hummus, served with crunchy crudités (photo © Wine Institute).

[2] Whole cumim seeds. Toast them for great flavor (photo © Planet Spices | Etsy).

[3] Pine nuts and garlic cloves. Did you know that pine nuts come from pine cones† (photo © C.J. Dayrit | Unsplash)?

[4] Aleppo pepper, a crushed hot chile (photo © Savory Spice Shop).

While we missed celebrating International Carrot Day on April 4th, we’re making up for it today, May 13th, National Hummus Day. We just finished making this carrot hummus recipe, and it is delicious.

The hummus with a platter of crunchy crudités—in this case, spring vegetables—for dipping.

> The history of hummus and more hummus recipes.

> The history of carrots.
 
 
RECIPE: CARROT HUMMUS

The carrots are first cooked to heighten their sweetness. Whole cumin seed, freshly toasted and ground by you, will be so much more flavorful than store-bought ground cumin.

But, you can default to the pre-ground, untoasted variety.

Thanks to the Wine Institute, which recommends serving a California Chardonnay or California Sauvignon Blanc with the hummus and crudités plate.

(Crudités is the French word for sliced raw vegetables, typically served as an appetizer or a snack with wine.)

You can find many more delicious recipes and wine pairings at DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com.
 
Ingredients 2 to 2-1/2 Cups

 
Preparation

1. HEAT a 10-inch (25-cm) skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is almost smoking, add the carrots and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the carrots have wilted slightly and lost their crunch, about 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.

2. PLACE the cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, shaking the skillet often until the cumin seeds darken and begin to smell fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then pound fine in a mortar.

3. PLACE the carrots, cumin, chickpeas, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Add the tahini and process until well blended. With the machine running, add enough water through the feed tube to make a smooth purée, about 1/3 cup. Add salt to taste and more lemon if desired.

Process for 5 minutes to make a smooth, light hummus. Transfer to a serving bowl, spreading it with a rubber spatula and making some “valleys” where oil can pool.

4. HEAT the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, shaking the skillet constantly, until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes.

5. IMMEDIATELY POUR the hot oil and pine nuts over the hummus. Sprinkle with Aleppo pepper, pepper flakes, or paprika, and serve with the crudités for dipping.
 
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*The Wine Institute recommends briefly blanching the sugar snap peas and asparagus to brighten their color.

†Only 20 varieties of pine trees worldwide produce cones with pine nuts that are large enough for harvesting. Pinyon pines, Pinus edulis which only grow between 6,000- and 9,000-foot altitudes, provide the finest pine nuts in North America [source].

‡Or vegetables of whatever season you’re in.