Pita pocket bread, sourdough or other bread of choice

1 can organic chickpeas/garbanzos with original water drained off just a bit

½ cup organic sesame seeds or 2 Tbsp of  tahini (½ cup organic, raw, unsalted sunflower seeds can be used in a pinch)

1 tsp cold-pressed virgin olive oil (optional)

1 minced garlic clove

½ cup kalamata olives (whole or halved, drained)

Conventional or English cucumber, thinly sliced

Organic lemon thinly slivered with skin intact

In a blender or Vitamix, add chickpeas with original water, sesame seeds/tahini and a slice of lemon to make the hummus. Blend until smooth, but don’t over-blend until too thin. Pour into bowl, stir in olives and drizzle with olive oil. Lastly, sprinkle the minced garlic on the top of the hummus and chill for a few hours or overnight.

Generously spoon hummus onto bread or into pita pockets and gently layer thinly, freshly sliced cucumbers and thin slivers of lemon. Optional additions: fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, lemon thyme or mint to add last between the slices of bread or tucked into a pita pocket. Keep in a cooler for picnics.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Marlaina Donato, AutumnEmbers.com.