Pesto Hummus

As often as time allows I try to make the drive up to Orlando to visit my childhood best friend, Danielle. Being up there with her is always a breath of fresh air. We usually spend my visits pondering our life journey over cups of loose tea from Dandelion Communitea Cafe, eating great food at Ethos Vegan Kitchen, thrifting and crystal shopping, and sometimes, if we have the energy, checking out the local counterculture night scene.

Sam, Danielle and Me. I've known these girls since I was one years old!

Dani and I last December in Downtown Orlando

We try and wrap up my visits by spending Sunday morning at the farmers market by lake Eola. There is a vender there who sells the most delicious pesto hummus. For months now I've been saying I'm going to try to replicate his hummus and pass the recipe onto Dani so she can make it herself. I finally did it. I think mine may have come out a little more 'pesto-y' than the vendor's, but it's delicious. The other day I brought some to class and within minutes Erica popped over and said "I can't believe you brought the pesto hummus and didn't even tell me!" which at that point, her boyfriend Shaun came over, and before I knew it I was sharing my hummus with 5 different classmates.

Replicated version of the pesto hummus

1 1/4 cup packed spinach
1 can BPA-free chickpeas
1/4 cup pinenuts
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 purple garlic clove (regular garlic is fine too if you don't have purple garlic)
1/2 cup basil, lightly packed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1-3 tablespoons light olive oil, start with 1 and add more as necessary, it should be thick as this is hummus and not pesto sauce
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional, this gives it more of the traditional 'pesto-y' flavor, but certainly isn't necessary)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Serve with pita chips, veggies, or use as a spread for a veggie wrap.