GARBANZO AND BLUE CHEESE HUMMUS

1 3/4 cups or so cooked garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons roasted or poached garlic
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup (or so) buttermilk, homemade vegetable stock, canned broth or bean-cooking liquid
2 ounces rich blue cheese, such as Great Hill, Maytag or Bellwether Farms
Salt and freshly ground pepper
TO SERVE:
Fragrant olive oil or nut oil
Chopped chives or fresh parsley
Crusty bread or crostini

Combine beans, garlic, sesame oil and lemon juice in a food processor and process for a minute or two until mixture is pureed. Add enough buttermilk to aid in the process. Add cheese and process until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

For a really smooth texture, you can push the mixture through a medium strainer, but you can certainly leave it the way it is.

Store covered in refrigerator for up to 4 days.

TO SERVE:
Scoop into a serving bowl or spread out on a plate and drizzle with fragrant olive oil and a sprinkling of chopped herbs, if desired.

Makes about 1 cup
Adapted from source: John Ash: Cooking One on One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher