Kalamata Olive Hummus

Have I mentioned how much I looooovvvveee olives? They're one of my favorite foods. According to my Grandma Irene, my love affair with them started in her kitchen when I was about 2. Hummus is one of my go-to healthy snacks, and since I've started making it regularly the store-bought stuff just doesn't quite cut it anymore. Makes about 2 cups of hummus.

Ingredients:

• 2 c cooked, drained chickpeas (home cooked from dried is best, but 1 can will do)
• juice of 1 lemon (if the lemon doesn't have much juice, add a little more)
• 1/4 c tahini
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus a dash of hot sauce or paprika if you like. 
• 1/2 c pitted Kalamata olives, plus a few more for garnish

Directions: 

1. Put chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and tahini in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend until evenly smushed into a puree--they might still look a little grainy, but you'll add enough olive oil to fix that. 

2. With the motor running, drizzle in 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil, pausing after the first to let it blend another minute. If it's smooth enough, you don't need the second tablespoon. 

3. Taste to see if the lemon and tahini are balanced. Add a little more of whichever one you need. Don't succumb to the temptation to add a lot more salt, since the olives have a lot. 

4. Drain the olives well and chop them a teeny bit. Add them to the food processor and blend until they are large black flecks of olive throughout. Don't process any longer, or you'll have purple hummus! It doesn't look as cool as it sounds. 

5. Scoop into a bowl and top with a few whole olives. Enjoy with an array of beautiful fresh or blanched veggies.