Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Fennel, Carrots, and Corn

This Sunday at the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market, held between 10 am - 2 pm on the corner of Agate and 19th Ave., you'll find bountiful summer produce from Camas Swale Farm and pastured meat and poultry from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm.

This past week we had a work potluck picnic. I took inspiration from the Camas Swale farm stand and decided to combine roasted corn and fennel into a pasta dish for a crowd that could be eaten warm or at room temperature.

One of my favorite pasta dishes is with chickpeas, so I riffed on this (as I did last year), cooking the pasta in the chickpea broth for extra flavor. This version, with caramelized fennel and shallots for sweetness and feta cheese for a salty kick, was especially delicious.

Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Fennel, Carrots, and Corn

serves a crowd (about 12)

1 pound dried chickpeas
2 garlic cloves
bay leaf
1 pound small pasta such as shells
1 lemon
2 ears corn
1 fennel bulb 
2 large shallots or small onions
6 carrots
olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
aleppo pepper to taste
3 ounces feta cheese, diced
fennel fronds and basil leaves for garnish

1. Cook the chickpeas. I've been cooking mine in a pressure cooker, but you can also do it on the stove top. Soak the chickpeas overnight in the pressure cooker insert pot in 6 cups water and 2 tsp Kosher salt. The next day, add 2 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced, 1 bay leaf, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally when done. If you haven't presoaked the chickpeas, cook on high pressure for 45 minutes and test if they are done (this time mine needed to go another 5 minutes). Place a strainer over a large bowl and drain the chickpeas, collecting the broth (you should have about 4 cups). Discard the bay leaf. Reserve 3 cups of cooked chickpeas for this dish and save the rest for other uses. 

2. Cook the pasta in the reserved chickpea broth. I do this in a pressure cooker as well. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed and add more water if needed to achieve a volume of 4 cups. Add the pasta to the pressure cooker insert pot and pour in the broth. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. When the cooking is complete, hit cancel and carefully release the pressure. Remove the lid and stir the pasta into the remaining broth. Cover and allow the pasta to completely absorb the broth for about 5 minutes. Zest and juice the lemon and stir both the zest and juice into the pasta.

3. Meanwhile, set the oven to 450 degrees and start roasting the pasta components. On a sheet pan, combine the 3 cups drained chickpeas with 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, salt, aleppo pepper, and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Mix to coat and roast the chickpeas until the become golden brown and crispy, about 20 minutes. Mix the roasted chickpeas in with the pasta.

4. Shuck the ears of corn and place them in a cast iron skillet in the oven. Roast, rotating, until they become slightly charred in places. Remove to a cutting board to cool and then cut the kernels from the ears and reserve. 

5. Thinly slice the fennel bulb and shallots. Toss with olive oil and salt on a sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with the corn kernels.

6. Slice the carrots on the diagonal into ovals. On the chickpea sheet, toss the carrots with the remaining cumin and fennel seeds, salt, aleppo pepper, and olive oil. Roast, flipping occasionally until soft and browned at the edges, about 10 minutes. Combine with the roasted fennel, shallots, and corn.

7. To serve, spread the pasta and chickpeas on a large serving platter. Layer over the roasted vegetables and all of their flavored olive oil. Top with diced feta cheese and garnish with torn fennel fronds and basil leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Chickpea and Pasta Salad

This Sunday at the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market, you'll find pastured meats and eggs from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm, cut flowers from Tiger Lily Art Company, and fresh produce from Camas Swale Farm, including eggplant, tomatoes, and corn on the cob.

For the past year I've been cooking many variations on this chickpea pasta dish, in which the pasta cooks in chickpea broth, absorbing all of the flavors. It's come to the point that the rest of my family members will roll their eyes when I suggest this dish. But tasked with bringing a side dish to a work picnic, I thought of a new variant on the theme: cooking pasta for a salad in the same broth used to cook chickpeas that I then roasted, along with eggplant and carrots, to layer on top. The pan was empty by the end of the picnic.

Roasted Chickpea and Pasta Salad

2 cups dried chickpeas (will make twice as much chickpeas as needed, but they store well)
1 bay leaf
olive oil
1 lb small pasta such as ditalini or shells
1 eggplant
6 to 8 carrots
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 large lemon

1. Rinse the chickpeas, transfer to a large cooking pot or Instant Pot insert, add water until they are covered by 2 inches, add 2 tsp salt, bay leaf, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook on low heat until soft through or if using an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 40 minutes and allow the heat to release naturally.

2. When the chickpeas are cooked, drain them and reserve the cooking liquid. Taste and add more salt if needed. Return the chickpea broth to the pot, bring to a boil, and cook the pasta until just cooked but still firm. If using an Instant Pot, cook the pasta on low pressure for 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, toss with a little olive oil, and reserve.

3. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables. Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes, toss with a tsp of salt, and allow to drain for at least 20 minutes. Clean and trim the carrots and cut into 1/8 inch thick ovals. 

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place in two sheet pans. In a mixing bowl, combine the cumin seeds, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt. Peel and slice the garlic cloves and add to the bowl. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the lemon and cut the lemon peel strips into thin matchsticks and add to the bowl. Add the chickpeas and a generous drizzle of olive oil and mix to coat the chickpeas with the spices. Transfer the chickpeas to one of the hot sheet pans and roast for about 30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until they are well crisped and starting to brown.

5. In the same mixing bowl, toss the carrot slices with a another drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt and transfer the carrots to the second sheet pan. Roast for about ten minutes, flipping once with a spatula, until they are cooked through and browned at the edges.

6. In the same mixing bowl, toss the drained eggplant cubes with another drizzle of olive oil. When the carrots are done, transfer them to a bowl, spread the eggplant cubes on the  hot sheet pan, and return it to the oven. Roast the eggplant cubes for about twenty minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to flip, until they are cooked through and browned at the edges.

7. Assemble the salad. On a serving platter, layer the pasta, then the eggplant cubes, then the carrots, and then the chickpeas with all of the roasted cumin seeds, lemon peel, and garlic slices. Juice the lemon and drizzle over the platter, along with a final drizzle of olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

Pasta with Chickpeas and Cherry Tomatoes

At the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market this Sunday you will find fresh eggs and pastured chicken, beef, pork, and lamb from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm, as well as fresh cut flower bouquets from Tiger Lily Art Company. 

Camas Swale Farm will have plenty of summer produce including melons and watermelons, cucumbers, garlic, salad greens, pardon peppers, carrots, and tomatoes.  

This week I used a pint of Camas Swale's pretty heirloom cherry tomatoes to add bursts of color and sweetness to a pot of pasta with chickpeas, employing a cooking method that's become my personal obsession these days. Rather than bothering with boiling a pot of water to cook your pasta, you can simmer it right in the sauce with flavorful bean broth. The end result is the rich flavors of a minestrone soup, but with the texture of al dente pasta. My approach is to cook a pot of beans over the weekend for tacos, salads, or spreads, and then reserve a pint of beans and a quart of bean broth for a quick pasta dinner later in the week. This is the kind of dish that your future self with thank you for teeing up over the weekend.

Pasta with Chickpeas and Cherry Tomatoes

serves four

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 anchovy filets 
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Aleppo or red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups cooked chickpeas (instructions below)
3 to 4 cups chickpea broth, plus more boiled water as needed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed
8 ounces small pasta such as ditalini
chopped parsley for garnish
grated parmesan cheese for serving

Heat a large skillet or shallow pot (for which you have a lid) over medium heat. Also boil a kettle with a couple of cups of water. Add the olive oil and anchovies and break up the anchovies with your cooking spoon as you allow them to melt into the hot oil. Add the minced garlic and and red pepper and allow to cook until the garlic starts to brown and is very pungent. Stir the tomato paste into the flavored oil and allow caramelize for a couple of minutes. Then add the chickpeas and chickpea broth, the cherry tomatoes, and the pasta. Allow the pan to come up to a simmer, lower the heat medium low, and cover the pan. Cook the pasta, stirring frequently to dislodge the pasta pieces that will stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep an eye on the liquid level of the pan to make sure it is slightly soup and add splashes of boiled water as needed, or if it seems too watery then uncover the pan and raise the heat to allow the liquid to boil off. Start checking the pasta after about 8 minutes, but it will likely take a couple more minutes to reach a point where it is just cooked through but still very firm. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow it to sit for a couple more minutes. Uncover, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

Cooked chickpeas
2 cups dried chickpeas
1 tsp baking soda
~8 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp kosher salt

Sort and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a pot with the water, baking soda, and bay leaf. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook until tender, about 90 minutes depending on the age of the beans. I like to cook beans in a slow cooker, which takes about 3 hours. When the beans are tender, turn off the heat and add 2 Tbsp of kosher salt. Allow to cool. Strain the beans over a large bowl to collect the bean broth. Use the broth and some of the beans for this recipe. Remaining beans or broth can be frozen for later use.

Parsley Tahini and Crispy Chickpea Crostini

The Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market will start up in just over two weeks. Now that summer weather has finally arrived, everyone in our household is craving farm fresh fruits and vegetables. Even the dog has been grazing on grass during her walks and the cat has resumed his afternoon naps in the garden among the herbs.

Although these crostini were just made with grocery store ingredients, the tangy and bright green tahini spread topped with crunchy chickpeas fit the bill for a summery snack. They should help tide us over until the start of the market on June 4.

Parsley Tahini and Crispy Chickpea Crostini

parsley tahini spread 
1 large bunch Italian parsley
juice from one lemon
2 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

crispy chickpeas
2 cup cooked chickpeas (or one 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed)
2 cloves garlic
peel from one lemon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

1 baguette

1. Pluck and wash the parsley leaves and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender, or you can use a wide mouthed pint sized mason jar with an immersion blender. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from a small lemon and reserve. Juice the lemon into the food processor. Add the tahini and olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Process until smooth. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, tahini, or olive oil to suit your taste.

2. Rinse and dry the chickpeas. Peel the garlic cloves and cut them into thin slices. Slice the reserved lemon peel strips into matchsticks. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil and when it shimmers, add all of the remaining ingredients. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer and allow to fry over high heat, resisting the urge to stir very frequently so that they can crisp up. Cook until most of the chickpeas and garlic slices have acquired some deep color. Taste and add more salt to taste.

3. Slice the baguette into ovals and toast lightly. Spread with the parsley tahini sauce and top with the crispy chickpeas. Enjoy.

Fava Bean and Summer Squash Chickpea Flour Crepes

At last week's Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market, Camas Swale Farm brought a bounty of spring vegetables, including delicate summer squash and fat fave beans.

Fava beans are best when shelled from their pods

and then released from their slightly bitter and tough skins. Peeling fave beans  is a true labor of love, and after all that investment of work they should be treated with reverence.

I decided to pair them with lightly sautéed summer squash and fresh herbs as topping for chickpea flour crepes as a stovetop version of farinata. 

The batter is simply chickpea flour and water with a bit of salt and olive oil. I found that I needed to keep my crepe pan quite hot and use plenty of olive oil to prevent the crepes from sticking, but once I mastered this, the crepes proved to be the perfect canvas for the fava beans, and a delicious post-market treat.

Chickpea Flour Crepes with Fava Beans and Summer Squash

makes about 4 crepes

Crepe batter

1 cup chickpea flour

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil for batter and more for cooking

Crepe toppings

handful of fave beans

1 or 3 small summer squash

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes to taste

chopped fresh herbs such as chives and thyme

1. Whisk together the batter ingredients into smooth. Let rest for at least half an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Prepare the fave beans. Boil a small pot of salted water. Remove the fave beans from the pods. Blanche the beans in the boiling water for 1 minute and then strain and run under cold water. For each blanched bean, use a paring knife to make a small incision in the outer skin and pop out the bean from the casing with your fingers.

3. Cut the summer squash into 1/4 inch thick half moons or other pieces. Heat a crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium hight heat. Add one Tbsp olive oil, the summer squash, salt and aleppo or red pepper flakes to taste. Sauté until the summer squash has a bit of brown blistering on its surface but is not yet mushy. Transfer the squash to a bowl.

4. Return the crepe pan to medium high heat. Add a generous amount of olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, pour in about 1/2 cup crepe batter and tip the pan in a circular motion to spend out the batter. Allow the batter to cook until it darkens in color slightly. Then use a spatula to flit the crepe  and cook briefly on the second side. Cook the remaining crepes. 

5. Top the crepes with the sauteed summer squash and fave beans sprinkled with chopped fresh herbs.

Spinach Yogurt with Spiced Chickpeas

In line with my last post, my Christmas present cookbook this year, Yogurt Culture by Cheryl Sternman Rule, is full of inspiration for cooking with fermented daily products. With some baby spinach from our Sweetwater Farm CSA and some cooked chickpeas in the refrigerator, I ended up making a mashup of two of Rule's yogurt spread recipes (a Turkish spinach dip and an Indian raita with a spiced tarka). For the base I mixed plain whole milk Nancy's Yogurt with chopped spinach and a pinch of salt, and then layered on these chickpeas fried with garlic, lemon rind, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika.

Rules tops many of her savory yogurt dishes with a drizzled of oil, so for this one I made a tarka of cumin and mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves (now available on a regular basis at Sunrise Asian Food Market). This dish worked well as a party appetizer with pita chips, with the cooling yogurt as a nice contrast to the spicy chickpeas, and it was substantial enough to serve as dinner after the guests were gone and we were too tired to cook.

Spinach Yogurt with Spiced Chickpeas

for the chickpeas
2 Tbsp neutral oil such as canola
3 strips lemon rind, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cups cooked chickpeas (could use one 15 ounce can)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
pinch of salt

for the yogurt
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
pinch of salt

for the tarka
1 Tbsp neutral oil such as canola
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
4-5 fresh curry leaves (optional)

1. For the chickpeas, heat a skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and then the slivers of lemon rind. Cook one minute and then add the garlic. Cook another 30 seconds and then add the chickpeas and spices. Stir well and allow to coat the chickpeas. Allow to cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas have crisped.

2. Prepare the tarka. Heat a small pan over medium high heat. Add the oil. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds and about 30 seconds later add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cook about a minute until the oil is very fragrant but before anything burns, and then transfer the tarka to a small bowl.

3. Rinse the spinach, drain, and chop finely. When you are close to serving the dish, combine the spinach with the yogurt and a pinch of salt.

4. To serve, spread the yogurt mixture on a shallow serving dish. Layer over the chickpeas. Drizzle the platter with the spiced oil, including the toasted seeds. Serve with warmed flat bread or pita chips.

Kale Salad with Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas

Here's a roasted vegetable salad for our off again, on again spring weather. Roast the carrots and chickpeas while it rains, and toss together the salad to enjoy when the sun peaks out. I roasted the carrots and chickpeas in an rich coating of cumin and smoked paprika, and spiked the tahini dressing with a good dose of lemon. The dressed kale will hold up well even if you have to wait a while for the sunshine. 

Kale Salad with Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves cut into 3/4 inch ribbons
2 large carrots, rinsed and sliced on the diagonal
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste

dressing
2 tsp tahini
1 tsp white miso paste
1/4 tsp honey
juice of one lemon
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare the roasted toppings. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, dump the sliced carrots on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and a good sprinkle of salt. On a second rimmed baking sheet, toss the drained chickpeas with the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and a good sprinkle of salt. Spread out and roast for about 20 minutes, turning the carrots with a spatula occasionally, until they are soft and have started to brown around the edges, and shaking the chickpeas occasionally, until they have browned and crisped. When the roasted toppings are done, set them aside.

2. Prepare the dressing by mixing together all of ingredients until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and add more of any ingredient to adjust the flavor to your likening. 

3. In a large bowl, toss the chopped kale leaves with the dressing until well coated. Gently toss in the roasted toppings. The salad is nice served at once, but it can also stand for a few hours. Enjoy. 

Broccoli, Chickpea, and Lamb Chorizo Orecchiette

This Sunday at at the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market, you can look forward to a selection of pastured chicken, lamb, and pork cuts from Fair Valley Farm and beautiful fresh cut flower bouquets from Tiger Lily Art Company. Good Food Easy at Sweetwater Farm will have the following offerings:  

Fresh
winter squash: turkish turban, acorn, delicata, and pumpkins (time for fall soup)
Gravenstein apples, Asian pears and bartlett pears from SLO farm (make apple sauce)
watermelon and cantaloupes
corn and tomatillos (make salsa) 
tomatoes, including cherries and romas (make tomato soup)
eggplants and sweet and hot peppers of all kinds (roast some for romesco sauce)
green and yellow beans (make a green bean salad with almonds and apricots)
potatoes and baby beets (grill in bundles)
broccoli (make this pasta)
fennel, cucumbers, kohlrabi, carrots, and radish (make sushi rolls)
crookneck squash, summer squash, and zucchini (try Erica's recipe published in the RG)
cabbage (green, red, savoy) (stir fry with seeds)
radicchio, chard, kale, lettuce, including bagged mix (make a chard and bacon tart)
turnips and delicata squash (saute in a salad, below)
garlic and fresh herbs (basil, oregano, sage, thyme) and home-grown lemon grass

Preserves, Beans, and Grains
From Sweet Creek Foods:
Dill Pickles, Chili Dill Pickles, Bread 'N Butter Pickles, Pickle Relish
Blueberry, Strawberry, Blackberry, and Raspberry Fruit Spreads
Enchilada Sauce and Salsa
From SLO Farm: Applesauce
Assorted beans and grains from Camas Country Mill

The chillier fall weather that arrived last week demanded heartier fare for dinner. The Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market provides one stop shopping for this one pot meal of Fair Valley Farm's lamb chorizo, Camas Country Mill's chickpeas, and Sweetwater Farm's sprouted broccoli.

If you plan ahead, cooking the chickpeas provides a flavorful broth for the sauce, and the chorizo provides all the seasoning you need for a satisfying meal for fall.

Broccoli Rabe, Chickpea, and Lamb Chorizo Orecchiette

serves four

1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 lb lamb chorizo
4 cloves garlic
1 lb sprouted or regular broccoli
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb orecchiette
1 cup reserved cooking water from the chickpeas or the pasta
parmesan cheese for serving

1. It's best to used dried chickpeas for this recipe and reserve some of the cooking liquid for the sauce, but you could also use a can of chickpeas (rinsed) and reserve some of the pasta water for the sauce. To cook the chickpeas, rinse and soak overnight if you have time. In a heavy pan, cover add the drained chickpeas and enough fresh water to cover them by an inch, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer over very low heat, partially covered, until the beans are cooked through, about 90 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to keep them completely submerged. When the chickpeas are cooked, salt the water generously and allow them to sit for at least 10 minutes. Strain the chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquid to be used in the pasta sauce and for future soup stock or risottos. 1 cup of dried chickpeas will yield about 2 cups of cooked chickpeas. You might as well treat yourself to a bag of Camas Country Mill chickpeas and cook up the whole lot. They freeze well, and you will thank yourself later.

2. Set a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. 

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb chorizo and cook as you break into pieces (you can cook the whole pound portion and save half for another meal), until the meat is cooked through. 

4. While the meat is cooking, cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces and mince the garlic. 

5. Put in the pasta once the water comes to a boil.

6. Once the sausage is cooked, remove it with a slotted spoon to a bowl and pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the fat. Add the olive oil to the pan along with the garlic and cook for a minute until it is fragrant. Then add the broccoli and cook for about five minutes. Add the drained chickpeas and roll in the oil to coat. Now add some cooking liquid from the chickpeas (or use some pasta water) and simmer it for a few more minutes until the broccoli is cooked through but still firm. Stir in the cooked sausage. Taste and add salt if needed.

7. Drain the pasta when it is done. In a large serving bowl, toss the pasta with the sausage, broccoli, and chickpeas, and add a little more cooking liquid if it seems dry. Serve with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Quinoa, Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad

This Sunday's Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market you can look forward to the following offerings from Sweetwater Farm and Fair Valley Farm:

• Delicata and Sweet Dumpling winter squash (try this salad)
• Cauliflower (delicious roasted)
• Stanley prune plums and Italian prune plums
• cantaloupe and honeydew mellons
• Carrots and radishes (try these buttery radishes with mint)
• One last round of green beans (from SLO Farm) 
• variety of tomatoes; 10 lb flats of San Marzano romas for $15 (freeze for winter)
• variety of sweet and spicy peppers
• kohlrabi (delicious raw in a lemon caper salad)
• variety of cabbages, kale, collards, and greens (make some collards and beans)
• broccoli and eggplants (try a roasted salad)
• lettuces and baby lettuce salad mix
• zucchini and summer squash
• variety of potatoes including bargain bags of red potatoes
• sweet onions, green onions, garlic, and leeks
• fresh herbs, including basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, oregano, and sage
• tomato sauce and pesto
• naturally fermented pickles, dilly beans, and sauerkraut
• homemade jams (delicious in crepes)
• Scottish oats (make this teff oatmeal)
• a selection of dried beans and grains from Camas Country Mill
• pastured chicken (try spatchcocked)
• pastured pork: pork chops, shoulder roasts, and ham roasts
• pastured lamb: ground, rib chops, and leg roasts (grill some burgers)

A few weeks ago we enjoyed a belated anniversary meal at Koho Bistro and had a delicious dish from the "Leaves and Weeds" section of their menu that I was inspired to recreate at home as the backdrop for Sweetwater Farm's sweetest of sweet cherry tomatoes. Their dish was a veritable cornucopia of grains and beans: wheat berries, barley, wild rice, quinoa, and chickpeas, all cooked separately with care. 

Without a restaurant kitchen staff on hand, I decided to pare this list down to chickpeas, a small grain like quinoa, and a large grain like wheat berries or barley. Despite the stack of pots it generates, this combination is definitely worth making and having on hand as an inspiration for quick lunches and dinners. The chickpeas are earthy, and the wheat berries and quinoa adds different notes of nuttiness. Like the Koho dish, I added toasted almonds and goats cheese. For this summer version, I added parsley and cherry tomatoes, but the grains and chickpeas lend themselves to infinite variations through the seasons, such as with roasted eggplant or delicata squash, or the green bean and red pepper version below. I'm sure these beans and grains complement each other nutritionally, but what's impressive is how well they complement each other in flavor, making a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. 

Quinoa, Wheat Berry, and Chickpea Salad

cherry tomato version
1 cup dried chickpeas
1 cup dried wheat berries (or substitute barley)
3/4 cup dried quinoa
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed
6 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup flat parsley leaves, rinsed and chopped
1 large lemon
1 tsp pomegranate molasses or a honey
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste

1. If you remember, soak both the chickpeas and the wheat berries separately overnight. For each, rinse and place in 2.5 cups fresh water and simmer on low until they are soft, about 2 hours. Salt generously and strain if necessary. Cook the quinoa on a low simmer in 1.5 cups fresh water for about 15 minutes until it releases its halos and the water is absorbed. Combine the cooked chickpeas and grains into a large serving bowl.

2. Mix the dressing of juice and zest from one lemon, pomegranate molasses or honey, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt to taste. Toss into the grains.

3. Toss the dressed grains with the slivered almonds, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and parsley leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy the salad on its own, or layer it on tender greens.

green bean and red pepper version
for slivered almonds, substitute whole almonds toasted with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp smoked paprika;
for cherry tomatoes, substitute cooked green beans and chopped roasted red peppers;
for the feta cheese, substitute cubed aged gouda
for the rice wine vinegar, substitute sherry vinegar, and omit the molasses or honey.

Farinata with Friends

Mark your calendars: the third season of the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market will start July 8! With the Olympic Trials in town, we have to be patient this year, but we'll be rewarded with abundant fresh fruit and produce from our favorite farmers. The beginning of the third season has me reflecting back on the market's inception with a chat I had with DeeAnn Hall, owner of Eugene City Bakery, about how nice it would be to have a neighborhood Sunday Farmers Market. As we explored this possibility, we received valuable advice from Lynne Fessenden of the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition and Dan Armstrong from the Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project. DeeAnn talked with the owner of Sun Automotive across the street about using their space, and Ned Forman from ECB talked with lots of farmers, and found a few brave pioneers in Rachel and Tom from SLO Farm, Kasey and Jeff from Lonesome Whistle Farm, and Linda from The Salmon People. 

The idea for this blog came from a conversation I had with Lotte Streisinger, who founded the Eugene Saturday Market in 1970 as a venue for local artists. Lotte told me that for many years she had a radio show in which she offered recipe ideas for produce on sale at the Saturday Market, and it occurred to me that today's equivalent would be a recipe blog. My first post was early in the Fairmount Market's first season. When the market's first season ended, I continued to crave locally grown, fresh food and to feel inspired to write about it. I joined Lonesome Whistle Farm's heirloom bean CSA, and experimented with all manner of bean dishes. For the market's second season, Rachel and Tom took the reins and were joined by John from Sweetwater Farm, Stephanie from Songbird Farm, Linda from The Salmon People, and Dan from the Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project. The Sunday market continued to be an integral part of my family's routine, inspiring our weekly menus and broadened our tastes to new greens and grains. The following winter, we again joined local CSAs: Lonesome Whistle Farm for beans and grains and Open Oak Farm for produce. Over these seasons, this blog has been a place for me to document my family's growing knowledge and appreciation of our valley's remarkable bounty. Equally satisfying, it has introduced me to some of our region's remarkable people who are committed to the conscientious production of food that is healthy to eat and gentle on the earth.

And so through this blog I recently found myself breaking bread with old friends and new. The recipe for this delicious chickpea flour skillet bread, called farinata, is from Elin England, author of Eating Close to Home. Elin is working on a new book with recipes for beans, grains, seeds, and nuts, entitled "The Fourth Cornerstone."  I encourage you to make this flatbread a new cornerstone of your repertoire to accompany the summer's bounty of vegetables. Happy summer solstice.  

Farinata

adapted from a recipe from Elin England

1 cup garbanzo bean flour (available from Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup lukewarm water

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil for the batter, and more for the pan

½ large onion, sliced thinly (optional)

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. 

2. Whisk together the garbanzo bean flour, water, salt and 2 Tbsp olive oil.  The batter should be about the consistency of a thin pancake batter; add more water if necessary. If possible, let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes, or longer. 

3. If using the onion, sauté the slices with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt in a heavy frying pan over medium heat until soft and caramelized. Set aside.

4. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a 10-12 inch cast iron pan and swirl to coat.  Place it in the oven and heat for 5-10 minutes until very hot.  Carefully remove from the oven and add a scant cup of batter.  Scatter a bit of the onion and the rosemary or sage over the top if  you are using them, and return to the oven.  Bake 12-15 minutes until the farinata begins to set.  Now turn the broiler on and broil for an additional 5 minutes or so until the top is golden brown and the sides look like they are getting crispy.

5. Remove to a cutting board, and make a second farinata in the same manner.

Let the farinata rest for a few minutes before cutting into wedges or squares. 

For a thinner, crispier farinata, use a bigger pan with less batter (1/4 inch deep).  You can cook it longer too.  For a creamier farinata, more like polenta, pour in enough batter so that it is ½ inch deep and/or use a slightly smaller diameter skillet. 

You can top your farinata with cooked pancetta, chopped olives, thinly sliced and sauted vegetables, crumbled cheese or whatever suits your fancy. 

Leftover farinata is good cut into chunks and tossed with salad.