5:30 Challenge: Make this hummus to turn snacktime into a meal

This is the point in the summer where I’m just about fed up with actually cooking. Between the endless heat and the abundance of great produce, I often find little reason to do much more than pile a platter with crunchy vegetables, tomato wedges, cheese and bread, and call it a meal. A snacky meal, if you will.

If I want to expend additional effort, I’ll whip up a batch of quick homemade hummus in a food processor, adding more protein and substance to dinner. Pouring in what may look like excessive amounts of tahini and good extra-virgin olive oil makes for an extra flavorful dip; adding cold water and running the processor for a few more minutes will turn the hummus silky smooth.

I like to dress up my hummus slightly more than the standard chickpea-tahini-garlic combination by crisping a portion of the chickpeas in olive oil, garlic and tangy sumac. These, and the oil in which they’re sauteed, are poured into the center of the hummus before serving to make a dip within a dip.