On a Sunday morning around 7:30 am, my husband and I find ourselves in the back garden clutching cups of tea, watching bleary-eyed as our children dart around with baskets and try to find pink and purple eggs. It was only a couple hours earlier in the predawn that we hid those 12 eggs but the kids can’t find them all and neither can we. After we blame the raccoons, we give up the hunt, sit down to peel the shells off a few of the hard-boiled eggs and eat them. That was Easter Sunday, of course. For me now it is wonderful memory of food and family: the process of dyeing the eggs in eager anticipation of the hunt, Chris and I stumbling around in the dark trying to hide them, the damp grass, the wet slippers, drinking the warm mug of tea in the early morning on the back deck, and the shrieks of delight when one of the kids finds an egg.
Photo by: Lucy Alexander
Beet Hummus
Adapted from David Lebovitz
- 3 medium sized cooked red beets, peeled and diced
- 2/3 cup cooked or canned chickpeas drained
- 2 lg. cloves of garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- generous pinch of cayenne pepper or smoked chili powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Keeps for 4-5 days in fridge.
Photo by: Lucy Alexander
The recipe this week isn’t an egg dish, or a traditional Easter recipe, but to me it is an Easter color, which is unusual for a dip/spread. It has a creamy texture, and evokes earthiness, along with a hint of sweetness and tang. A perfect dip for carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, crackers, or in place of mayo or butter on a sandwich. So easy to prepare, it can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Fantastic for a potluck or picnic.
Photo by: Lucy Alexander
Photo by: Lucy Alexander
Written by: Claudia Alexander