White Bean Hummus and Fridge Pickles

I couldn't fall asleep last night thinking of all the delicious and nutritious foods I wanted to make today. I bought some white beans because I'm trying to get more potassium and decided I could make "hummus" with them (it's just white bean dip, but hummus is more descriptive). My mouth started watering thinking of a wrap with white bean hummus and veggies. Then I thought, "I could pickle some of those veggies." Luckily, I was somehow psychic when I went shopping yesterday morning and I bought a pack of Persian cucumbers. Those plus the fresh jalapeños I had in the fridge equal perfect pickles.

Tortilla, white bean hummus, fridge pickles, shredded carrot, red bell pepper, spinach

White Bean Hummus
1 can white beans
4 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper

Smash and peel the garlic cloves, drain the beans, and give them a whir together in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and whir it again. With the food processor going, slowly drizzle in the olive oil (this makes a creamy emulsion).

Pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours to meld and chill. Spread it on a wrap or sandwich and enjoy. To serve on its own, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some chopped flat-leaf parsley over it. Great with baguette, pita, vegetables, and so many other things.

Fridge Pickles
2 C white vinegar
2 C water
2 t sugar
1 T salt
3 Persian cucumbers
8 jalapeños

Put everything except the veggies in a saucepan and bring just to a low boil. While that's happening, slice the cucumbers and jalapeños about 1/4" thick. Put the sliced veggies in a large mason jar or some other airtight glass container. Wash your hands very well after handling the jalapeños! Once the liquid has just begun to boil, pour it over the veggies so that they're completely covered. You can always add a bit more vinegar if you need to. Refrigerate for at least an hour before using. PLEASE NOTE these are not shelf-stable pickles - you MUST keep them refrigerated and use them within a week to be safe. If you just want some quick pickles, boil the veggies in the liquid for about 10 minutes, drain, chill, and eat!

NICSA 8: Home Groan

The Something Awful Forums are very special. Very special indeed. There is a sub-forum, Goons With Spoons, which is "dedicated to the discussion of cooking, food, and beverages."

Every so often, GWS "hosts" what is called Iron Chef Something Awful, or ICSA. Slap "Newbie" in front of that and you've got yourself a NICSA, which "differs from ICSA in that it excludes regulars from entering the final poll."

A few months ago, we got a heads up that the next NICSA challenge would be local/home grown. As I'm both a newbie and obsessed with local food, I decided to enter... NICSA 8: Home Groan. My entry, Cafeteria Fraiche, is summarized below.

Smoked trout and smoked bread

Maple-toasted pecans, pickled red onions, smoked figs, mizuna salad, raw milk cheese, and butter

Daube de boeuf with celeriac purée

Persimmon fool with maple whipped raw cream

This food was so good. The smoked trout was so amazing, in fact, that I had a hard time believing I had  actually produced it.