Lentil Hummus with Orange and Tarragon

This was an experimental hummus.  Many moons ago when I made food for my senior recital at college (so long ago, I had no hair!), I made one batch of basic hummus and another batch that was identical except I used red lentils instead of chickpeas.  They looked great swirled together in the serving bowl. Maybe I was bored.  Or maybe I was out of chickpeas last weekend.  I can't remember, but I decided to revisit the lentil hummus but take it one step further.  It's still the same hummus recipe, but some of the lemon juice has been replaced by orange juice, and you are encouraged to mess around with fresh tarragon as well, whether as a garnish or a mix-in. I took this hummus to a picnic at LACMA, where my friends told me this was the best hummus I'd ever made.  I don't agree, but it makes a really interesting break from the more normal hummuses out there-- it tastes nuttier and sweeter.

Lentil Hummus with Orange and Tarragon

Ingredients 1 1/2 c cooked lentils (I used brown; red would be prettier)

1-2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1/4 c tahini (optional) cayenne pepper, to taste cumin, to taste salt, to taste juice of 1/2 orange

juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, to taste

fresh tarragon

Instructions

Blend, adding water if necessary and adjusting lemon/salt/cumin/cayenne to taste.