Chickpeas Part Four

Spring has not quite sprung. Asparagus and rhubarb--traditional tonic foods--are dribbling into markets still stocked with winter squashes and greens. So this transition moment seems ripe for another around the world meditation on that little black dress of the kitchen: the always perfect chickpea. I still have more recipes like these, and haven't even begun to talk about the tasty treats to make with ground chickpeas (think falafel) or chickpea flour (think socca)!

Lebanese Fatteh
This is basically hummus deconstructed into its parts.

2 c cooked chickpeas, drained and heated in 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 cup water

2-3 lg garlic cloves, minced with a pinch of sea salt to a paste

1 ½ c plain thick (Greek) yogurt

¼ c chopped fresh mint leaves

Freshly ground black pepper to your taste

2 whole wheat pita breads

1 tbsp butter

¼ c pine nuts

lg pinch Aleppo or cayenne ground red pepper

 Preheat oven to 450º.

In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, mint and garlic paste. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

 Halve the pita breads horizontally and put on a baking sheet cut side up. Bake until they start to get crisp and turn a light brown. Remove and cool.

 In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the pine nuts until they’re golden, stirring so they don’t burn.

 In a large shallow serving bowl, break the pita into pieces and top with the warm chickpeas plus 1 tbsp of the lemon water they were cooked in to soften the pita. Top with the yogurt and then pine nuts. Garnish with more mint leaves and the red pepper to serve.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil

1 med red onion, peeled and diced

¼ tsp caraway seed

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

¼ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp fresh ground or cracked black pepper

½ tsp ground cumin

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp chopped tomatoes in their juices

1 tbsp tomato paste

juice of ½ lemon

pinch of saffron

2 sm potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1 cup when done)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

¼ cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped

1/8- ¼ tsp salt to taste

Heat oil in a medium casserole or soup pot over medium high heat. Add onion and caraway seed and sauté five minutes until onion is soft.  Add garlic and all spices and continue to sauté 30 seconds. Add broth, stir in

tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice and saffron. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, chickpeas and parsley.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in salt. Serve hot with lemon wedges and, optionally, a dollop of harissa, Tunisian chili sauce, or similar.

Punjabi Chole
serves 3-4

this is the easiest version 

1 15 oz can chickpeas (drained)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp oil

1⁄2 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp chaat masala*

1⁄4 tsp amchur powder (mango powder)

1⁄2 tsp red chili powder

2 green chilies

lg pinch salt

1 small red onion, chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

2 tbsp water

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, green chilies and then onions. Sauté until onions turn golden and translucent. Add garam masala, red chili powder and amchur powder.

Sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add chickpeas and salt, cook another 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tbsp water, cover the pot and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and add diced red onions and tomato. Cook 5 minutes.

*you can approximate this by roasting a few coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and ajwain seeds, then grinding them with a pinch of rock or sea salt.
Eggs with Chickpeas
This is a riff on Shakshuka from Ottolenghi in London, for 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp harissa
1 13 -14 oz can chickpeas, drained
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1/3 c Pernod (or Arak)
1 3/4 c chopped tomatoes (boxed or canned is fine)
1 3/4 c vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
3 oz soft goat’s cheese, broken into roughly 1" pieces
Dill, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid, on a medium-high flame. Fry the onion, carrot and fennel 15 minutes, stirring a few times, until soft and golden brown. Add the harissa, chickpeas and spices, stir through for a minute, then add the Pernod. Let it bubble for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomatoes, stock and a 1/2 tsp salt. Return to a boil, turn the heat to medium and continue to cook 25-30 minutes, stirring a few times and crushing some of the chickpeas, until the sauce is thick and rich.

Take off the heat, make six indentations in the mix, then crack an egg into each gap. Sprinkle the eggs with a generous pinch of salt, dot the goat’s cheese around and about, then cover and return to the heat for five to six minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks still runny. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with dill and serve.

Turkish Chickpea Patties
 serves 4

1  14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed and drained
4 tbsp olive oil
1 sm red onion, diced
2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed if possible
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Aleppo pepper or else paprika
1 sm bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 sm bunch dill, finely chopped
1 lemon, rind only finely chopped
1-2 tbsp white flour for dusting
salt and black pepper to your taste

For Serving
4 tbsp thick Greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 med red onion sliced into rings, rings sliced in half for half moons
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 lemon sliced

Either process the chickpeas in a food processor or pound with a potato masher to make a paste out of them. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to make a paste. With a wooden spoon, beat in the onion and 3 spices. Add the parsley, dill and lemon rind, salt and pepper. Blend well. The mixture should be thick enough to handle.
Pick out enough chickpea mix to make a golf ball, then flatten it in the palm of your hand into a thick patty. Continue until all the mix is used up. Dust the patties slightly with a little flour.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Put in as many patties as will fit in a single layer and fray them 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. These can be served hot or later at room temperature.

In a small bowl, beat the yogurt with the garlic and salt to your taste.
Arrange the hot chickpea patties on a serving platter and garnish with the half moon onion rings,  parsley and lemon slices. Drizzle the yogurt over them.  You can also tuck the patties, garnishes and yogurt into a pita for a variation on the falafel sandwich.

Persian Lamb and Bean Soup
serves 6

2 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs stewing lamb (leg or shoulder) in 1" chunks
1 lg onion, quartered
6 oz tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 limes, thickly sliced
1 tbsp bulgur
2 cups cooked chickpeas (14 oz can will due)
2 cups cooked red kidney beans
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper or lg pinch of cayenne
lg pinch ground cinnamon (1/8 tsp)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
3 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
0ptional: 4 cups beef broth

In a med soup pot or large saucepan, heat butter and oil. Brown the meat and onions. Mix the tomato paste with 8 cups of water or 4 cups beef broth and 4 cups water and pour over the meat. Add bay life, limes and bulgur. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 1 1/2 hrs or until meat is just tender.

Add chickpeas, kidney beans, hot pepper, cinnamon, salt, pepper, potatoes and turmeric. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. (This is imperative.) discard the limes after squeezing them into the soup.  Serve with lavash or pita.

The Eatin' o' the green

Since we're getting close to St Patrick's Day and the wearin' o' the green, I thought it time to talk about the eatin' o' the green, particularly because greens continue to dominate fresh farm food right now. Most greens--kale, spinach, collards, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli--happen to be cold weather crops. Mother Nature knows what she's doing so we should as well. She's piling on the sunshine and chlorophyll our winter weary bodies need to refresh and cleanse. Here are a few simple, worldly ways to make your table green in March:

Roasted Pears and Green Beans
serves 4

1 lb whole green beans, cleaned

2  pears, peeled and sliced lengthwise

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tbsp slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Steam the beans until just tender. If you don't have a steamer put them in a lidded pot with a minimal amount of water (say 1/3 cup), cover and cook over medium heat until the water has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat and let them continue to steam in the covered pot. Sauté pears with melted butter, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in hot green beans, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Top with the almonds to serve.

Broccolini Gomae (how the Japanese eat greens)

1 bunch baby broccoli/broccolini

4 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp Japanese cooking wine, Mirin, or Chinese cooking wine

1 tbsp tamari (wheat-free Japanese soy sauce) or any soy sauce

½ tsp rice wine vinegar

Put the broccolini whole into a large saucepan, generously add salt and cover with water 1" higher. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook until broccolini is just tender, maybe 5-8 minutes. Drain and dry well. Put broccolini in a deep serving dish.

In a dry skillet or frying pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat for 2 minutes or until they start to become golden brown. This can happen very fast so stay focused on this. Grind or smash the sesame seeds into a paste. Stir in the cooking wine, tamari, sugar, rice wine and water to thin the paste into a dressing. Spoon over the broccolini and serve at room temperature.

Saag Paneer (Indian spinach or any greens with fresh cheese)

serves 4 as a side

1 1/3 lb fresh spinach, well washed

2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
½ lb paneer or feta or best halloumi cheese, cubed 

1 small onion, very thinly sliced (a mandolin is helpful)
4 fat garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1” fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 fresh small green chili, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add spinach, blanch for 10 seconds, then drain and cool in ice water. Squeeze well to dry. Finely chop the stalks and roughly chop the leaves. Squeeze again and again until no more water comes out – it should be as dry as possible.

Heat the ghee/butter in a large heavy frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry the cheese cubes until golden and crusty. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Heat the remaining ghee/butter until it just starts to smoke.

Add onion, garlic, ginger and chili, then the spices and salt. Fry, stirring vigorously, until everything is browned but not burnt.

Add the chopped, dry spinach and cheese and stir vigorously until everything is hot. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Ghanaian Spicy Spinach
This West African dish should carry you away to someplace new and adventurous.
serves 4

½ c vegetable oil (corn, canola, safflower, mustard)

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp minced ginger  

1 habanero chili, seeds and ribs removed, minced

kosher or sea salt

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 ½ lb plum tomatoes, chopped

¾ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds

2 1/2 tsps smoked paprika plus a dash of Thai fish sauce)

1 1/2 lb spinach, washed, dried and roughly chopped

3 large sweet (yellow) plantains, peeled and boiled in salted water until just tender

In a Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium heat, and add the onions, garlic, ginger, chili and ¼ tsp salt. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until the onions are golden brown and sweet, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and another ¼ tsp salt. Bring to a boil, partly cover the pan and lower heat to simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has cooked to a rich tomato-soup consistency, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender blitz the pumpkin seeds to until it just starts to get clumpy as a powder. (Do not overprocess into a butter.) Remove to a bowl.

When the tomatoes have reduced, add smoked paprika and fish sauce to taste, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, to the bowl of pumpkin seed powder until it is a loose paste. Add the paste on top of the tomato sauce, and spread it out. Cover the pan, and cook 5 minutes.

Stir the sauce all together; it will look like a thick porridge. Add a few splashes of water, and increase heat to a boil. Stir in the spinach, until wilted and tender. Taste, season with salt (or more fish sauce, if using) and serve with boiled sweet plantains.

Himalayan style Mustard Greens with Pork

 serves 3-4

Typically this is made with flat leaf Indian mustard greens, not the curly ones available here. If you can't find flat leaf, use Chinese broccoli, aka, gai lan, or a leafy green like yau choy.

1 lb. mustard or bitter greens
1 lg. onion, peeled
2 tbsp. garlic/ginger paste (1” ginger, 2-3 lg. garlic cloves)
2 tomatoes
1 tsp. salt or 2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cooking oil
3/4 lb pork shoulder or baked ham, cut into thin narrow strips
fresh ground black pepper

Dice the onion and tomato separately. Chop the mustard or bitter greens into confetti.

 In a large wok or skillet. heat the oil. Add the chopped onion and stir fry over medium heat until it’s brown and carmelized.Add the ginger/garlic paste and stir to blend.  Add the diced tomatoes. Lower heat and cook until the tomatoes have released all their juice and are mushy. Add the pork/ham, raise heat to high and stir fry the meat 1 minute. Lower heat to medium. Throw the chopped mustard greens into the pot, stir to blend. Add the salt or soy and mix thoroughly. Raise the heat to medium and continue to stir fry three minutes until the greens are soft and tender. Remove from heat and serve.

Chard Gratin from Ottolenghi

1/3 c olive oil
1½ tsp caraway seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2+ lbs plum tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
1¼ lb chard, washed, leaves and stems separated, leaves roughly chopped, stalks finely sliced
Salt
4.5 oz (roughly ½ c) sorrel, roughly shredded**
1 ½ tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 ½ tbsp. dill, roughly chopped
8 spring onions, cut into ½” pieces
8 0z feta, roughly crumbled into ¾” pieces
¼ c pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 c Greek yogurt
2 ½ tbsp parmesan, finely grated
5 ¼ oz coarse polenta (fine polenta will do, if you can’t find coarse)

**if you don’t have sorrel use 1 tbsp lemon zest

Heat the oven to 400º. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid, then fry the caraway and garlic over a medium-high flame for a minute, stirring most of the time. Add tomatoes, chard and ½ tsp salt. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the chard has wilted and the tomatoes have broken down. Remove from heat and stir in the sorrel, mint, dill, spring onions, feta and olives.

Put the eggs, yogurt, parmesan, remaining oil, polenta, ¾ c water and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl and mix to a thick batter. Pour half the batter into an 8 x 12” ovenproof baking dish, so it completely covers the base, then spoon the greens evenly over the top. Pour over the remaining batter – it won’t completely cover the greens, but that’s OK. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until risen and dark golden-brown on top, leave to stand for 10 minutes, and serve hot.

Kale and Polenta Layer Cake
I saved this for last because it takes some time. Nothing very hard, just a few steps more than usual.
It's festive feed for vegetarians. 

Serves 6

2/3 cup polenta

3 cups water

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp minced roasted poblano pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup shredded or grated mozzarella cheese

*carnivore options

2 bunches kale

1 med white onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp pine nuts

¼ tsp salt

½ cup ricotta cheese (fat free is fine)

 2 lg sweet potatoes

¼ tsp salt

2 cardamom pods, cracked or ¼ ground cardamom.

2 tbsp mascarpone

 ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

pinch of nutmeg

1 tbsp olive oil for the pan

Grease an 8 or 9” springform pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375º.

Peel and coarsely chop the sweet potatoes. Put in a pot and cover with water.

Add the salt and cardamom pods. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook until potatoes are soft, 12-15 minutes.  Remove cardamom pods. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, put the sweet potatoes in a food

processor. Add 1 tbsp of the cooking water and hold the rest. Add the mascarpone. Quickly puree.  Set aside.

Remove kale leaves from their thick stems. Wash and drain carefully. Combine kale, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor. Using the pulse button, chop the kale into small pieces as though making pesto.

In a small skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium/low heat. Add onions and black pepper. Sauté 5 minutes until onions are soft.  Stir in the chopped kale mix. Sauté 3-5 minutes until kale is soft but still bright green.

Remove from heat. Add salt and ricotta and blend well. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sweet potato water with 2 cups water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal and continue whisking until it is absorbed and the mixture starts to thicken, 5 minutes.

 Add oregano, pepper flakes and minced poblano pepper. Continue cooking over low heat 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add mozzarella cheese, stirring as you go and continue cooking 3 more minutes so all cheese is melted.  Polenta should be thick and creamy now.

 

Cover the bottom of the oiled springform pan with an even layer of the polenta.

Cover the polenta layer with an even layer of the kale mixture.

Top with an even layer of the sweet potatoes.

Top with the grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

 Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 15-20 minutes until top is lightly brown.

 Remove from heat. Cool in the pan 10-15 minutes. Remove sides of the pan.

Serve cut in wedges like a cake.

*Carnivores can add ½ cup chopped chorizo or pepperoni to the polenta or ½ cup chopped garlic sausage to the kale.