A Couple of Sauces

With this weekend’s party coming up, I looked for a variety of sauces to accompany the meats, breads and chips. Here are two, each serving 4-6.

Ingredients

Hummus

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 16 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup red onion, minced
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  1. In a food processor, pulse all ingredients but salt and pepper to a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Spread on bruschetta or celery stacks.

Romesco Sauce

  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup roasted almonds
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • ¼ cup sherry vinegar
  1. Cook garlic and bread in olive oil until brown, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
  2. Place all ingredients into food processor and mix to a smooth paste. Add ice water as needed,
  3. Goes particularly well with grilled meats and fish.

Both these sauces work quite well with our heritage wines – 2008 Sonoma County Pinot Noir and 2008 Mendocino County Pinot Noir.