Sweet Potato Hummus

As much as I've always loved summer's bounty of berries and stone fruits, I would have to say that my affinity for fall produce is greater. For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to this time of year, and the food it brings with it. The smells. Oh, the smells. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, squash roasting, pies baking...are there any scents more wonderful? I have so many vivid memories watching my Mom in the kitchen this time of year, roasting or baking something delicious as I eagerly waited to taste it. Memories that I'll always carry in my heart. It's so crazy to think of how quickly quickly time passes and things come full circle, as Andreas is now the one watching me in the kitchen, waiting for a taste.

I grabbed a bag of sweet potatoes at the farmers market Saturday with the intention of baking them the way my Mom does, but once I peeked in the bag, I decided to do something a little different. I had some chickpeas and fresh ground tahini on hand, so I thought of adding some roasted sweet potato into my usual hummus recipe. It was wonderful. The sweetness of the potato really balances out the tang of the lemon and spice of the garlic. The taste is surprisingly similar to red pepper hummus. A delicious snack and ode to early fall. It's also really great for older babies and toddlers, Andreas and Lucía both loved it. Give it a try!

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

olive oil

sea salt

2 cups chickpeas

1/3 cup tahini

3 cloves garlic

juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

cayenne and cumin (optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss the cubed sweet potato with olive oil and a generous dash of sea salt. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Once it's tender, transfer it to a food processor or blender and add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Process until it's creamy, adding a little more oil if necessary. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little bit of cumin or cayenne, if you like. Serve with julienned raw veggies or pita.

Makes about 3 cups of hummus.

for babies 12 months and older.