Tired of Hummus? Try Cannabis-Infused Vegan White Bean Tapenade

Sometimes the simplest things are best, and this is a dish that has never failed me on tired nights when there’s not much in the pantry. My obsession with what is essentially white beans on toast started at a favorite Italian haunt in the East Village, Supper.

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The family of restaurants behind Supper populate my go-to list when I’m too high to function and need a reliably delicious meal with good service. It doesn’t hurt that they also deliver to my door if need be. No matter how I end up with their food, it comes with a small dish of marinated white beans, and it’s honestly the best part. Sometimes I make it at home, and it’s never quite the same, but it’s still flavorful and satisfying.

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Hummus and other cold bean dishes and spreads are common the whole Mediterranean over, from chickpeas in the Levantine, fava and yigantes of Greece, to the cannellini and lentil prevalence in Italy. Personally, if hummus isn’t fresh(handmade) and only gently mashed, I’m not interested, but other beans are filling the void. Cannellini and great northern beans are mild flavored and take seasoning extremely well. It’s why they are a soup staple, and why they are a humble but delicious appetizer or side dish.

White Bean Tapenade

Inspired by Supper Restaurant, New York City (with edits and tweaks)

• 2 cans small white beans, cannellini, white kidney, or great northern are all acceptable
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Fresh parsley
• Dried herbs and spices
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Peel of one lemon (grated or peeled in strips)
• 1 cup total extra virgin olive oil (use desired amount of Weed Olive Oil* within this quantity)
• Toasted bread slices
• Optional grated Pecorino for sprinkling

Rinse canned beans thoroughly and allow to strain further while you prepare marinade. If you want to used cooked dry beans, prepare according to package and make sure they are fully cooled after cooking.

Smash and chop garlic, you want it as finely minced as possible so that you can taste garlic in every bite, but it gets marinated by the oil and has a milder taste. You can use any combination of herbs, thyme and tarragon match really well, especially lemony thyme varieties. Chop both fresh and dried herbs finely.

Add oil, garlic, and herbs and lemon to a clean jar with dried pepper flakes, cracked black pepper, and about ½ tsp salt. Mix well and add beans, stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight and serve on toast or with flatbread. Keeps up to 5 days in a sealed jar.

*Weed Olive Oil

Decarboxylate 3.5g of finely ground cannabis at 225 degrees for 20 minutes in a tightly sealed, oven safe container. Put in lidded mason jar or vacuum sealed bag with cannabis and four ounces of olive oil. Heat in water bath just under boiling for at least 1 hour. Strain and chill to use in recipes.

You can eat right away with toasted bread, but it tastes best after a day in the fridge when all the flavors can meld together, also like soup.

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My perfect bean dream is a heaping tablespoon smushed into well toasted bread with even more beans pressed in, topped with a sprinkle of sharp pecorino, which is easy to nix if you’re vegan. This is downright addictive even without the cheese, which I use as more of a seasoning in this case.