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Recipe notes: tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, and is now widely available at health food stores and most supermarkets.
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Much like natural peanut butter, the oil may separate, necessitating a bit of stirring before you use it.
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However, unlike peanut butter, the stirring is accomplished fairly quickly.
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I prefer the mellow taste of cooked garlic in this recipe, but feel free to substitute the more traditional raw garlic if you like (for raw garlic, I would suggest using only 1-2 cloves, since the flavor is much stronger).
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There are also myriad ways to vary this recipe by adding sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, chopped olives ... use your imagination!
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Pour the olive oil into a small pan; heat over low to medium-low heat.
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Peel garlic cloves and cut in half.
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Add garlic to the pan and cook until the garlic softens and is just colored on the edges, about 5-6 minutes.
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You want to poach the garlic gently in the oil; if it browns too quickly, it will taste bitter.
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Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
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Drain garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid.
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Place the garbanzo beans in the bowl of a food processor.
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Add the olive oil with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper.
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(If you are using any additional flavorings such as sun-dried tomatoes, add those now, too.)
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Puree the mixture for several minutes until smooth, stopping as needed to add the reserved liquid from the garbanzo beans a spoonful at a time to achieve desired texture (I added 10 tablespoons this time).
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Taste, and add more salt, pepper, tahini or lemon juice if desired, and whir once more to blend.
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Remove to a serving bowl.
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Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with lemon zest or sesame seeds.
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Serve with fresh or steamed vegetables, pita chips, or fresh pita bread.
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Keeps up to one week, refrigerated in a covered container.
