I like beets. A lot of people don’t. Or maybe they just think they don’t. No one should eat those pickled beets out of a can. Ick. But roasted beets on a salad with a little goat cheese? Nom, nom, nom.

Needless to say, I don’t mind getting beets in my CSA. But I have had to come up with new ways to use them. Some searching turned up a recipe for pink hummus. For some reason when I saw this recipe, my mind thought of a soft rosy pink. I don’t know why. So, you can imagine my surprise when the pink hummus turned out to be more of a magenta. Or was it fuchsia? Either way, it was bordering on neon. There’s nothing mild mannered about this savory treat. Not the color. Not the flavor. This hummus is as tasty as it is whimsical.

Hot Pink Hummus
Serves 4-6

4 small to medium-sized beets
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon tahini
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ cup (or so) extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

• Trim off the ends of the beets and place them in a saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Bring the beets to a boil, cover, and continue cooking over medium-high heat for about 25 minutes. Be sure all of the water doesn’t evaporate as your beets cook because they will burn. (Not that I know that from experience or anything.)
• Once the beets are cooked and have cooled a bit, peel off the skins and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and cumin. Pulse a few times to get things going. Stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reach. I like mine just slightly on the chunky side.
• Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve with pita chips.

Next time, I think I’ll:

• Toss in a little cinnamon. I saw that in one of the recipes as I perused, and I bet it would be a fun addition.
• Be sure to change out of my white shirt before I start messing with beets.