"But why make it pink?" asked my faraway friend Bevan, crossly, via WhatsApp, after I sent him a picture of this beet hummus. "And why the sumac?" he continued.
"It is pretty," he conceded.
Bevan is a purist.
My answer, unsent, is:"Why the hell not?" Also, he's living with a crisis in Turkey, which can make anyone short-tempered.
The real reasons to make beet hummus include, but are not limited to:
1. It IS pretty! We need beauty, and if we can eat it, and smile at its ephemeral pleasure, let's do that.
2. I am seeing red and I'd rather be creative about it than burst my heart. Speaking of hearts - the raw as well as cooked beets in this hummus are loaded with nitrates, which dilate blood vessels and potentially lower blood pressure and improve oxygen uptake (good for all of us, and especially athletes). Beets are heart healthy.
3. Combined with the high-fibre chickpeas in hummus, the extra fibre in the beets load this dip-spread with that essential aspect of nutrition that so many Americans lack.
4. Antioxidants! Lots. Which means anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is has been accused of my bad health associations than I can name, here.
5. Flavor. Perhaps that's the only argument. The sweetly earthy flavor of beets is wonderful with the garlic-singing smoothness of the chickpeas.
6. Spring. Put this beet hummus on platter with petals and pretty leaves.
7. It's quick. It's filling. It's beautiful. It's nutritious.
The recipe is up on Gardenista: A Petal Party Platter for Spring.
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