Lemony Chickpea-and-Tuna Spread

I ate this delicious spread on slices of fresh sesame ficelle years ago after driving up to my mom's with friends and arriving completely famished. This simple spread is satisfying and slightly different than the usual hommous dip that everyone puts out these days. The recipe had been found and clipped-out of the New York Times food section, but one day the original was lost and never found again. Of course, we could make it from memory or even shell out $5 to buy it from the Archives of the paper on-line, but I was not keen on any of these solutions.

And then one day, while looking for a book on Bed & Breakfasts at my local library I discovered something truly amazing. The library has a vast collection of cookbooks - shelves and shelves of them... and, wonder of wonders, I can check them out and take them home. This may seem quite unspectacular to you, but to me this was a revelation. All these cookbooks that I can read and try-out and not have to purchase... I was delirious with joy.

Since that time, I've been taking out two at a time and reading and cooking out of them. The latest was a collection of 300 rediscovered recipes from Pierre Franey's classic New York Times Column, "60 Minute Gourmet" and lo and behold, while flipping through I found the recipe for this yummy nibbble between the Gazpacho Mousse and the Baked Clams with Garlic Butter.

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Lemony Chickpea-and-Tuna Spread

Ingredients:
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup sesame paste (tahini), stirred well
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup canned water-packed tuna, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Tabasco to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (or in a blender). Puree to a coarse texture (you don't want it too smooth). Cover and refridgerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings