Hummus Among Us

Chickpeas pods from Teton County farm.

Many years ago, 18 to be exact, when I was a young Extension professional, I remember that a recipe came across my desk in a nutrition publication.  I took the recipe home and tried it out.  The recipe called for using a can of garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, pureeing them with a variety of other vegetables, liquids and seasonings.  The product was touted as a sandwich spread. It was delicious and filling, but low calorie.  I now recognize the recipe as a type of hummus. 

Chickpea pods and a single chickpea.

Hummus has been a staple food in many parts of the world for centuries.  However, hummus did not work its way into American culture until relatively recent history, and took a little longer to make it to the rural reaches.  Chickpeas, the base of hummus, have been used in salads and soups commonly in the U.S for quite a while.  Chickpeas are rich in protein and fiber.  They are considered a pulse crop and can be a rotational crop that fits well into wheat and barley farming operations, increasing soil fertility.  According to the Montguide, Growing Chickpea in the Northern Great Plains, a rotation of chickpeas may also disrupt cereal crop pest cycles.  While I don’t claim to have my finger on the ‘pulse’ of farming in the area, I do know some area farmers who are planting chickpeas.  Fortunately, a few have shared part of their crop with me and I’ve been experimenting with chickpea recipes in my kitchen.

Homemade hummus, served with carrots and celery.

Speaking of experimenting, last fall, the Choteau culinary class, under the direction of Tami Krone, experimented with creating their own hummus recipes.  Several hummus recipes were created and taste-testing followed.  The winning recipe then became part of a limited market-research experiment I conducted with the Choteau senior class.  I prepared five healthy food items for the senior class to taste-test and they ranked items by their probability of purchasing the items at a sports concession stand.  Sadly, the hummus recipe did not make it into the running as a likely purchase at concessions.  Nonetheless, several of the students did like the taste of the product.  The culinary arts hummus recipes are posted below, in case you’d like to do a taste-test yourself.

Chickpeas from planting to 4-H presentation!

This spring, one of our 4-H members gave a great demonstration on hummus, as her family had decided to “give peas a chance” as one of their crops last year.  The 4-Her was able to be involved from production to presentation!  She also created her own recipe, available at our blog, and started with dried chickpeas.  She cautions that a dried chickpea, when soaked overnight, will double in size, so be conscientious of the size of container used for soaking.  There should be plenty of room.  My family experimented with soaking dried garbanzo beans as well and enjoyed watching them expand.  Even after soaking, the dried chickpeas are not soft enough and will need to be rinsed and then boiled for a few hours to become soft.  Once softened, the chickpeas can be blended with any number of other ingredients including tahini, lemon or lime juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, curry, carrots, etc.  Often hummus is served with flat bread, chips, or pretzels, but it is also tasty when served with carrot sticks, celery or jicama.  It can also be served in a tortilla with salsa and greens, or as a sandwich spread on whole wheat bread. 

For those who do not want to make their own hummus, it is now available in many of our local grocery stores, as it is becoming more and more common in the Montana culinary experience.  For those who crave an individually crafted recipe, see our blog for recipes, photos and more information about the hummus among us!

Other resources for your use and enjoyment:

Growing Chickpeas in the Northern Great Plains
Healthy Concessions
Healthy Concessions in Teton County
Munch Code -- Guide for Concessions -- Teton County

Recipes:

And the winner is ...

Tangy Southwest Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. tahini
3 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

In blender or food processor, blend ingredients to desired consistency.

Hannah's Hummus

Water
1 c. dried garbanzo beans/chickpeas
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. garlic powder

Soak dried garbanzo beans in water in a large bowl overnight. Drain and rinse.  Add water and beans to a sauce pan and boil or simmer for a few hours until chickpeas are soft.  Cool slightly.  Add softened,cooled chickpeas to blender or food processor.  Add olive oil and blend.  If more olive oil is needed to blend, add more.  Add garlic, garlic powder and salt.  Blend until desired consistency.  Be sure to serve with breath mints!  It packs a garlic punch.

Classic Hummus

2 15 oz. cans chickpeas
1/3 c. tahini paste
8 roasted garlic cloves
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. cumin
Add garlic salt, white pepper and onion salt to taste

Drain liquid from both cans of chickpeas and reserve.  Use later if needed to reduce thickness in blended product.  Blend chickpeas and all other ingredients in a blender or food processor, pulsing for 60 seconds at a time.  Process until desired consistency is reached.  Transfer to serving bowl or platter.  Garnish and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and paprika.

Other tips:

Hummus will taste better if allowed to sit in refrigerator for an hour or two before serving.  Consider adding sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and other flavorful ingredients.  Serve with pitas or fresh vegetables for dipping.

Protect Yourself from a Gold Digger -- Thursday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m.

The MSU Teton County Extension Office will be showing the video, Gold Diggers: Investment Fraud in the Treasure State on Thursday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. at the Choteau Baptist Church.  The showing of the video on investment fraud is free to the public.  While no registration is required, a courtesy call is appreciated to plan seating.  The documentary, Gold Diggers: Investment Fraud in the Treasure State, produced by the Montana Commissioner of Securities, tells the story of two of Montana's most infamous investment scams.

"More than two hundred years ago, prospectors flocked to what we now call the Treasure State in search of fortunes," said Lindeen.  "Though Montana's prospector days are long behind us, we have a new brand of gold diggers who would rather prey on our trust than dig for gold.  Modern day gold diggers are scammers and con-artists who can steal a life savings in the blink of an eye."

Narrated by award-winning actor Bill Pullman, Gold Diggers tracks two recent cases of investment fraud in Montana: the Arthur Heffelfinger case in Helena and the Anne Marie Schlenker case in Bozeman.  In total, the two scams robbed dozens of Montana investors of more than $3 million, leaving victims in financial ruin.  The film features interviews with victims, securities experts, and the regulators and attorneys who investigated and prosecuted the two scams.

"Education is the silver bullet when it comes to fighting fraud," said Lindeen.  "The more Montanans know about their rights and where they can turn for help, the better they can protect themselves from modern day gold diggers."

Lindeen's office produced Gold Diggers with a grant from the Investor Protection Trust, a nationally-recognized, independent organization that helps consumers make informed investment decisions.  All funding for the Trust comes from voluntary and court-ordered contributions from criminals who commit investment fraud.

Press release from:

The Next 100 years?

A few years ago, I was able to attend an incredible presentation by Steve Stark, a former Extension communication specialist from North Dakota.  As he shared about history, his lesson came alive in front of the audience.  The skilled lecturer and historian was also an artist. He covered one entire wall of a conference room with paper and while he lectured, he drew scenes and people with chalk. One person described it as having a giant story book created in front of you. His topic that day was the history of the Extension Service in the United States.

Stark giving presentation.  Photo by Kimberly Gressley, University of Arizona Extension. 

I’ve been an Extension Agent since 1996 and an Extension client since the 1970s.   In that time, I’ve heard many people throw around topics like the Morrill Act, the Hatch Act or the Smith-Lever Act.  Generally, these lessons were dry and boring and contained much information I should have cared about, but the delivery, and my learning were both lacking.  In contrast, Stark’s presentation was remarkable and he gave context as to other issues facing the nation and the connections of people with ideas while these Acts of Congress were being decided. 

In 2014, we are celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 which provided for the creation of Extension.  Thursday, May 8, officially marked 100 years since the signing of the Act.  The creation of Extension outreach education programs could not have been possible without the Morrill Act, which was signed into law in 1862.  Think of those years leading up to 1862.  During a time of tremendous struggle in the United States, key people had a long-term vision for prosperity and furthering access to education to provide equality in opportunities.  The nation was faced with an impending Civil War, yet key players recognized that to propel the nation forward we had to invest in education.  The Morrill Act established land-grant universities that would focus work in agriculture and engineering.  The leadership realized that agriculture and engineering would be fundamental in driving our nation forward.  The United States Department of Agriculture was also begun in 1862 and Lincoln called it the “people’s department.” 

Later, as land-grant universities were teaching agriculture practices, it became apparent that there was a lack of current research in agricultural knowledge across the different climate and growing conditions of the United States.  Again, Congressional leadership tackled the problem in a visionary fashion and in 1887, the Hatch Act provided for the establishment of agriculture experiment and research stations. 

Once land-grant universities were going strong and agriculture experiment stations were providing important research, leadership looked around again for a way to improve lives of citizens.  They realized that not everyone who lived in rural agricultural communities would attend a land-grant institution and thus the leadership decided to bring the information and education to the people. 

In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act provided for the establishment of the Extension Service.  Specifically, the Act stated, “Cooperative agricultural extension work shall consist of the development of practical applications of research knowledge or giving of instruction and practical demonstrations of existing or improved practices or technologies in agriculture, uses of solar energy with respect to agriculture, home economics, and rural energy, and subjects relating thereto to persons not attending or resident in said colleges in the several communities and imparting information on said subjects through demonstrations, publications and otherwise and for the necessary printing and distribution of information in connection with the foregoing; and this work shall be carried on in such manner as may be mutually agreed upon by the Secretary of Agriculture and the State agriculture college or colleges …”

The words of the Smith-Lever Act likely have not mattered to you nearly as much as the result of it.  A country that can feed itself and educate citizens is a nation that can further other accomplishments.  As the visionaries of this country know, we are all connected.  I am proud to be part of the great tradition of Extension.  Montana State University is your university and an educator from the land-grant university is assigned to your county to assist you, whether directly or indirectly, bringing campus to you. 

Our Extension classes in Teton County strive to provide a public value -- from the 4-H youth development program that trains our community and state leadership of tomorrow, to wellness classes that prevent diseases, keeping people healthier, active and vibrantly contributing to their communities longer thereby reducing public health care expenses.  Extension work encompasses agricultural management practices and community development. 

The original Smith-Lever charter statement remains true after 100 years, that the purpose of Extension is "better farming, better living, more happiness, more education, and better citizenship" for the "entire country."

For 100 years, MSU Extension has been educating in local communities. We should celebrate the past 100 years, but more importantly, we should be visionaries in planning for the next 100.  I encourage you to post a comment below to share your vision for your Extension program for the next century.  

Other Resources:

Steve Stark
More on Steve Stark
Morrill Act
Hatch Act
Smith-Lever Act

Another knife skills class ...

You can enjoy an evening of sharp wit and sharp knives with Travis Standley and Jane Wolery on May 19 in Fairfield, Montana.

Travis Standley shows knife sharpening techniques.

On the Cutting Edge teaches participants the basics of knife selection and care, as well as efficient cutting skills for fresh produce. The knife skills class is planned for May 19 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the St. John’s Catholic Parish Center in Fairfield.  The fee for the class is $5 per person and registration is required.  Class will be limited to 15 participants. 

Learning knife skills can help you fly through food prep.  

During the three hour class, participants will learn about economical knife choices, cutting board care, knife care, sharpening and food safety.  Participants will also practice a variety of cutting techniques that should increase efficiency in food preparation, encourage production of homemade meals, and increase the use of fruits and vegetables. Contact the MSU Teton County Extension Office to register for the class. 

Jane Wolery demonstrates the cutting efficiency.

Below are links to some great food fact sheets prepared by our colleagues in MSU Extension.  Please check out these colorful and informative resources.  

The links below take you to some great resources on food prep!

Apples
Apricot
Asparagus
Beet
Broccoli
Carrot
Grape
Onion
Parsnip
Pear
Potato
Raspberry
Rhubarb
Tomato
Turnip