This time of year, I am taking in all the green that I can, while it is still here. Sure the fall is the most colorful time of year around here, but the winters in Buffalo are long, cold and definitely lacking in greenery and fresh local produce.

What better way to celebrate the remaining green and fresh flavors of the summer than a simple dip featuring two of my favorite flavors – roasted garlic and fresh raw kale! I grabbed some beautiful local garlic and kale from the farmers market, and let those be the start and I created my recipe from there.

This hummus is simple to put together and it is filled with layers of incredible flavors. And as with any hummus, this one would be great with rice crackers, tortilla chips, fresh raw veggies, on pizza, in wraps or sandwiches or heck, even just by the spoonful.

This post was originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG, as part of my ongoing series.

[print_this]Roasted Garlic & Kale Hummus – Gluten-free + Vegan

Makes approximately 2-3 cups

• 1 bulb of fresh garlic
• 1 large can (25 ounces) organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini, well stirred
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
• 1 small bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped, about 2 to 3 tightly packed cups
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Red pepper flakes or black pepper

Start by roasting your garlic. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Peel away the outer layers of the skin from the garlic bulb, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place the head of garlic in the center of a small piece of foil. (You can also place it in a baking pan or muffin tin covered with foil). Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over the top, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Close the foil around the garlic tightly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft and tender. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool so you can touch it. Using a knife or a fork, press down on each clove to squeeze the garlic out of the skin.

Make your hummus. Reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid, rinse and drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas and reserved liquid in a food processor. Add in the kale, freshly squeezed lemon juice, tahini, roasted garlic, salt and a little freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes. Process until smooth. I drizzle in just a bit of olive oil while its processing, it makes it even smoother and gives it a nice, subtle taste.  Sprinkle a bit of red pepper flakes or smoked paprika and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top when serving. Serve with your favorite gluten-free goodies like rice crackers, tortilla chips, raw veggies, or serve it on a sandwich, in a wrap and more. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week. [/print_this]