Beetroot Hummus

I was first inspired to make this after a holiday in Morocco last month, where the hotel we stayed at laid on a wonderful selection of mezze, including three different types of hummus.

I have since experimented making two different types of beetroot hummus. In my first attempt I was eager to use up a fresh beetroot I bought, so roasted it but then realized that I had no tahini, so I substituted it with cashew butter. Athough the resulting dip was delicious, it was too sweet for my liking. Having finally bought some tahini but not enough time to cook, I used organic shop bought beetroot (ready cooked and vinegar free), whizzed it up with lemon juice, garlic cloves and cumin powder. It was a winner!

The cumin notes are reminiscent of a balmy evening sitting on a terrace looking out on the Bosphorus or of savouring the delights on offer in a bustling souq in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, back here in Provence the weather was so beautiful this lunchtime that we ate outside.

Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 2 minutes Cooking time: 25-30 minutes (if cooking)

Ingredients: 3-4 small beetroots, cleaned and peeled (or ready cooked shop bought vinegar free) 1-2 small cloves of garlic 1 tbsp of cumin powder 5 tbsp of lemon juice 2 tbsp of tahini Salt and pepper to taste

Method: 1. If cooking the beetroots, cover with water in a saucepan and once the water has reached boiling point, turn the heat down and simmer for about 25/30 minutes until tender. 2. In a food processor, add the cooked beetroots and all other ingredients. Pulse/blend until the dip is smooth.

Turn out into a bowl and serve with crudités, breadsticks, or as part of a selection of mezze, a sandwich filling or with a salad.

This is a very versatile little dish.