Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Turkish-Style Pumpkin Hummus





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The young women of Turkey, especially those whose fate has placed them in larger towns and cities, are lovely and lead lives quite similar to yours or mine. Yet, a trip to villages just outside these cities illustrates the vagaries of fate and tells a story of a completely different kind. Turkey is justly famous for its food and the abundance of its table. The land supports the growth of fruits and vegetables and grains, and a trip to a Turkish market presents a veritable rainbow of color and a range of choice that's guaranteed to please anyone who likes to cook. I'd love to tell you that that abundance is the result of shared labor, but to do so would be a lie. Women man the farms and while they are in the fields their husbands and fathers are otherwise engaged. The work is backbreaking and the faces of these women are lined and cracked liked ill-fired terra cotta bricks. They age quickly and even their veils can't hide the ravages of the sun and the heavy work they do. The nature of our trip placed us on Turkish highways for long periods of time. We would occasionally stop to stretch and take a look at what was going on around us. One of the stops we made was at a roadside stand where melons and squash were being sold. We were offered samples of local melons and the Silver Fox, who is powerless in the hands of small children, was approached by a little guy carrying a melon that was the size of his head. I want you to know that melon made it with us from the outskirts of Ankara to Istanbul before it was finally eaten. It was delicious, if slightly overripe.That same market also sold pumpkin which I learned had a prominent place in the Turkish diet. With pumpkin readily available in our own markets at this time of year, I thought you might enjoy this quick and easy version of hummus that is made with it instead of chickpeas. This is wonderful when made with fresh pumpkin but the canned variety is an acceptable substitute. I like to make this dip the day before I plan to serve it. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Hummus...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy ofSaad Fayed

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons tahini
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture is smooth and creamy. Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish as desired. Serve with toasted pita bread or chips.

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36 comments :

Claudia said...

I always think of pumpkin as unique American. I love the tale of the melon, little kid and the Silver Fox - such sweetness abounds in your travels. And the pumpkin hummus would be a perfect lunch. The color enchants.

tinyskillet said...

I like this version of hummus...so many pumpkin recipes now I love it.

Katarina said...

Pumpkin hummus sounds delicious!

el horno de maría said...

Muy rico,yo lo hago con garbanzos también esta muy bueno Turquía es un país que me gustaría visitar me encanta un beso www.elhornodemaria.com

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

The pumpkin hummus is a great idea.
Glad you are home safely and another line can be scratched off the bucket list!!

Kathy said...

This sounds delicious! Love the information! I appreciate you!
Kathy

David said...

Mary, Very interesting... I would have never thought of pumpkin as the key ingredient of any form of hummus! It sounds great... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

StephenC said...

A most interesting idea. I once made a nice hummus from dried soybeans. Isn't variety just the spice of life?

From the Kitchen said...

Welcome home! I am thoroughly enjoying your trip. We love hummus and there are pumpkins lined up on my back porch begging to do something other than star in a pie (some of them will, however).

Best,
Bonnie

That Girl said...

I love pumpkin AND hummus.

Unknown said...

Beautiful pumpkin hummus! Looks lovely. I would love for you to link up to my pumpkin blog hop: http://deelicioussweets.blogspot.com/2011/10/ill-love-you-til-end-of-vine-and-linky.html

Unknown said...

This sounds delightful!

Ginny Hartzler said...

I NEVER thought I'd say that hummus is beautiful, but this is!! What I want to know is; what are the men doing while the women are farming? I bet NOT cooking and doing laundry!!

lauren @ spiced plate said...

I've been making pumpkin hummus too, almost exactly like this recipe except with the additions of garam masala and ginger...pumpkins make me smile!

Susan Lindquist said...

This looks so interesting! I would never think to make hummus with pumpkin, but now that you've shown us ... it's brilliant!

As for the division of labor in other countries, Turkey being discussed today, I am reminded just how lucky we are in our middle class environment! And I'm with Lynne ... just what ARE those men doing while the women are laboring in field and home?

Anonymous said...

YUM! I must try this. It sounds wonderful

Priya Suresh said...

SUper delicious hummus..

Sylvia said...

Wow !1 what a wonderful recipe. I use almost everyday pumpkin on our regular meals. I certainly must try it

Arlenesfelt said...

We traveled over 1600 miles around Turkey, and in every town we could not help but notice that the women did all the work, everything, including herding goats etc, which we would think of as "mens work", while the men sat at sidewalk cafes or tables under the trees in the country, drinking Turkish coffee and Raki. I thought I saw a lot of old women, but I bet many were not that old!

Lynn said...

The pumpkin hummus sounds great Mary! Absolutely no doubt your trip was amazing:@)

Joanne said...

I've made something similar to this before and I really adore the flavor of pumpkin against the earthy chickpeas!

Kim said...

This hummus is quite something with the pumkin. Really it looks healthy and yummy!

Ellen Whyte said...

Pumpkin hummus? now that's an odd idea. Will try this.

Not surprised by the way Turkish farmers behave. It's the same in Africa and the Far East. Men are lazy; women hold the family together.

Anonymous said...

It is always pleasure to read you.And when you bringus back a syrprise like pumpkin hummus I am exited;)

Anonymous said...

It is always pleasure to read you.And when you bringus back a syrprise like pumpkin hummus I am exited;)

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Mary, Thanks for the story behind the food! Farms in Central Mexico are run by 75 year old women and children. I was in Mexico for a while a couple of years ago and my heart broke at the plight of these women! Sounds like you had an interesting trip!
Thanks for this exotic and seasonal hummus!
Yvonne

Adelina said...

I so relate to those women. Being divided just by the Black Sea from Turkey, Moldova is in no better state when it comes to the rural side ...the only thing that is different is the absence of veil. But this is the state of things in all the developing and underdeveloped world, so we should be so grateful for what we have. And I am sure most of us are, especially after visiting places and seeing the struggles one has to go through to survive ...as for hummus, interesting indeed, since I always associated the name to the chickpea.

Banana Wonder said...

I am so going to make this... but can I add some chickpeas in the mix?

A Bitchin' Kitchen said...

This sounds so delicious! I love hummus, and I love pumpkin, but never would've thought to combine them.

- Maggie

Unknown said...

Pumpkin hummus?? YUM!!!

Tasha said...

What a tasty sounding version of hummus! Yet another reason I need to quit forgetting to to buy pumpkin.

Bams Kitchen said...

Pumpkin Hummus! What a novel idea Mary! Always love visiting your website and hearing your lovely stories. Take Care

Beverly said...

Mary, this sounds like the perfect solution to something to bring to an office party. I will try it at home, too. I think my family will really like this.

Thank you for sharing your latest adventure.

Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...

I love hummus and this caught my eye as I love pumpkin going to try this one this weekend!

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary,
the pumpkin sounds like a great seasonal variation for hummus, and I love middle eastern, mediterranean food. I enjoyed your informative posts on the Turkish food and culture-a good read!

Leilani said...

Fascinating! Can't wait to show my friends. I love hummus but sometimes I just need something different.

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