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Hummus - 20 different ways

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So it's officially mid-summer...when vegetables are fresh and fabulous.  It's hot, so you don't want to cook, but need a little change on what you are dipping your veggie sticks into, taking to parties and slathering on your pita wedges.  This summer, we are really loving carrot hummus and so are our clients.  One big retailer down the highway is selling beet hummus that apparently make the kids go crazy!  Whatever taste you are aiming for, here are some new ways to spice up a summer party classic.  Thanks OneGreenPlanet.org

1. Sweet Pea Hummus

2. Roasted Kumquat with White Bean Hummus

3. Parsley Hummus

4. Roasted Balsamic Carrot Hummus

5. Maple-Glazed Roasted Parsnip Hummus

6. Lentil Hummus

7. Black Bean Jalapeno Hummus

8. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

9. Spinach & Garlic Hummus

10. Sweet Potato Hummus

11. Edamame Pistachio Hummus

12.  Avocado Hummus

13. Smoky Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus

14.  Black Hummus

15. Homemade Hummus with Red Pepper

16.  Babagahummus

17.  Sweet Pea Hummus

18.  Oil-Free Kale Edamame Hummus

19.  Smoky White Bean and Roasted Yellow Pepper Hummus

20.  Low-Fat Sweet Potato Hummus

How to buy Olive Oil

There are a lot of fakers out there. Here's how to find the best olive oil for your buck.  

  • Shop where you know there's inventory turnover
  • Buy for use within two months
  • Opt for oil in dark glass bottles or in tins
  • Choose "extra virgin olive oil", it's the purest, least processed and most flavorful type
  • Be wary of bargain-bin oils (less than $10 a liter)

More resources include the North American Olive Oil Association and TruthinOliveOil.com run by journalist Tom Mueller, author of the book Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil.

Plant a Bee Garden

Bees and water are both important ingredients to growing the fresh food our community enjoys.  Rasberrys takes these major contributors very seriously as many of our fresh, seasonal ingredients and dishes depend on them!  This spring we overhauled our gardens in a major way.  We brought in more veggies, bee friendly plants and flowers and overall reduced our water use.  It was a project, but we are looking forward to seeing increased production.  The next time you taste a fabulous ingredient as us - it may have been grown right here in the Wood River Valley.  

Here are a few ways to make your gardens bee friendly too:

  • Rethink your lawn, can you add a few flowering plants?
  • Select single flower tops like marigolds and daisys, the nectar is easier to access
  • Skip the hydbridized plants, they don't produce alot of pollen
  • Plan for blooms season round, providing a constant food source
  • Build homes for native bees, this may mean things like loose soil, hollow reeds, water or mud
  • Create a bee bath - fresh clean water source
  • Consider a window container or rooftop if you do not have land

There are many free resources available on this topic a few are The Honeybee Conservancy, High Country Gardens and Pollinator Partnership