Garlic Butter Hummus

Inspired by Zahav's Turkish hummus, which was inspired by Ana Sortun's warm buttered hummus at Oleana in Cambridge, MA. Instead of tahini, there's butter—and almost a stick of it. First, you melt the butter with a clove of garlic (use a larger one if you really like garlic, a smaller if you don’t), then blend that into chickpeas and lemon juice. Like any hummus, this is wonderful with pita chips and raw vegetables (especially sassy ones, like radicchio and radishes). But it’s also A+ as a creamy base for meatballs, a topping for a grain bowl, or a smear for a sandwich. Heads up: Because butter solidifies as it cools, this hummus changes in consistency more than its tahini counterpart. It’s best right out of the food processor, while still a touch warm and fairly loose. But it keeps well in the fridge, too—just give it some time to temp up on the counter before you dig in.