The Acorn Files ~ Hummus

When it comes to serving up acorns, hummus may not be what immediately comes to mind. But let me sell you on this here.. 

Years ago I was hanging out with Arthur Haines at the Delta Institute.  We were gathered with friends enjoying snacks and a few tasty beverages when he busted out a spread to go alongside some crackers. This delicious dip turned out to be hummus, but with a wild twist. It was pretty straightforward, with plenty of garlic, lemon, and a touch of tahini to give it that true hummus flavor. I thought the use of acorns was a nice addition to or replacement to chickpeas which are traditionally used. 

Recreating this dish is super simple and contain as much acorn and as little chickpea as you wish.  Here, I use 50% acorn which provides noticeable acorn taste, but still has the texture provided by the chickpeas. In recent years, I have begun to lightly toast the flour in a dry cast iron pan to bring out a toasty flavor from the acorns. I have made variations in the past using 100 % acorn, but find it to be a bit too dense for my liking. If you go the route of 100% acorn, use dried flour and not the wet meal. The recipe below is a twist on the classic recipe, so use what you have in your pantry to make this dish uniquley yours. 

Acorn Hummus

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cold leached and dried (preferably toasted) acorn flour

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas

  • 1 tablespoons fermented garlic puree or 2 large cloves

  • a few splashes of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • sea salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Ideally, soak the chickpeas overnight in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

  2. After 8-12 hours, transfer over the chickpeas and liquid, cooking the chickpeas until they are tender. Drain and rinse, then allow to cool to room temperature.