Flavored hummus seems to be all the rage these days.  And with good reason.  It’s very tasty stuff.  Peas and mint are a natural combination.  The lovely cool green just screams summer.All you need is a food processor, an immersion blender or a blender.  For this, though, I prefer the food processor.  And for the smoothest hummus, let that sucker run for at least 5 minutes.  It whips air into the mixture and just makes for a fluffier, and frankly better, hummus.  The mint is very subtle and refreshing, without over-powering the peas.  This is really all about the peas.  You can absolutely use fresh peas, that you steam first.  But, for me, that’s a waste, when frozen, thawed peas work like a charm and are just as tasty.   Do make this at least a couple of hours before you plan to serve it, cover it and chill.  I like this served slightly chilled, with toasted, pita triangles, but that’s up to you. I put the cannellini beans, along with the garlic, in the processor and whirl them up well.  Add the thawed peas, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt and pepper.  Turn on the processor and let it run for about 4-5 minutes.  Scrape the bowl down 3 or 4 times during this process.  Add the mint; whirl until it’s thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute.  It the mixture is too thick, add the water, a tablespoon at a time.  Remember, the hummus will thicken as it chills.  Now, scrape the hummus into a serving dish; cover and chill for at least a couple of hours.  I make this the day before and it keeps for at least a week.  I think the flavor is at its peak, about two days after it’s made…but that could just be my imagination.  To serve, scatter a few peas around, drizzle with olive oil, and I sprinkled sumac (available at Middle Eastern markets), no toasted walnuts, this time.  Dig in…or “dip” in!

As I was writing this up, I began wondering how asparagus would be as a replacement for the peas….hmmmm…another possibility.  Isn’t life great?