Fresh Chick Peas

Chick-peas

Chick Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Ceci Beans…. The names vary, but the way they’re sold rarely does – dried; dried and then rehydrated in cans; or dried, rehydrated and pureed for hummus.  For a few weeks every year, they are available fresh – slightly shriveled green peas encased in an almond shaped pod.  Inspired by a lovely dish of scallops and fresh garbanzo beans at Lineage, I bought a pound to experiment at home.

Given the short season of availability of these little treats, the amount of information on the web is relatively limited.  Most often (or so it seems) they are steamed or roasted and eaten like edamame at sushi bars.   A few websites suggested eating them raw.  Raw, they had a crunchy, starchy taste that suggested a brief cooking would enhance their flavor.

As I looked for culinary inspiration, I considered their prevalence in Mexican, MiddleEastern, Indian and North African Cuisine: warm climates around the globe.  I opted for Moroccan flavors – riffing on a favorite Harrira Stew; further inspiration coming from the ramps that also looked beautiful.

Have you ever cooked with fresh chick peas?

Seared Sea Scallops with Fresh Chick Peas and Ramp Chermoula

Fresh-Chick-Peas_04-22_5508 1 pound fresh chick peas, shelled
2 tablespoons butter
1 bunch ramps
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of saffron
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sea scallops
1 tablespoon canola oil
Lemon juice
1 blood orange, sectioned
Salt and pepper to taste

 

  1. In a large skillet, sauté the chick peas in the butter for 3 – 4 minutes, until they are bright green.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  2. Chop the stems of the ramps; set aside the leaves.  Mix the ramp stems with the parsley, cilantro, cinnamon, paprika, saffron and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
  3. Remove and discard the tough, small muscle that’s attached to the side of the scallop.  Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
  4. Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add the oil.  Sear the scallops for 3 – 4 minutes until they turn a crispy golden brown.  Turn over, and cook for 1 minute more.  Remove from pan.  To the pan, add the ramp leaves and cook just for a minute until they wilt slightly.
  5. Just before serving, season the chermoula with lemon juice.
  6. Serve the scallops with the chermoula, blood orange ramps and chick peas.

Cooking with Katie


Like most women, I vacillate between wanting to lose 20 pounds and being content with my weight. When I "adopted" Katie from Eat this, I excitedly looked through her recipes for new ideas to cook healthy. She cooks with a lot of whole grains, many that I know of, but don't typically cook. Maybe I can finally make realistic modifications to my diet and lose some weight.

Last night, I brought dinner to a friend. She prefers the style of Katie's cooking – lots of whole grains and mostly vegetarian — so it seemed the perfect opportunity to make one of her recipes. Did I choose the healthy and beautiful looking Lentil Soup with Spinach? Or the Pinto bean, avocado, tomato and wheatberry salad? No. Of course, I opted for the Roasted Veggie and Cheese Pasta. The least healthy of all her delicious recipes.

And let me tell you, it was indeed delicious! I'll confess, I made a few adaptations… wanting to use what was in the fridge… I used fresh dug parsnips and carrots instead of the recommended peppers, zucchini and eggplant. And I added ramps instead of garlic and onions.

So, if you're craving virtuous and delicious recipes, check out Katie's blog. If you're looking for healthy twists on your favorite recipes, check out Katie's blog. You won't be disappointed.

And by the way, Katie is giving away jars of Tupelo Honey. Just leave a comment on her blog between now and Friday, May 22 to be entered to win. As if you need another reason to read her blog.

Where the Wild Things Are

Ramps2
Nowadays, it seems you can get anything, any time of year. Asparagus in January? No problem… probably flown in from Chile. Apples in August? New Zealand. Even “wild” mushrooms aren’t wild. They’re cultivated, and perhaps generously called exotic.

I love spring for so many reasons, but especially for the seasonal spring foods that are truly seasonal. Ramps (wild leeks), for example, are only available in the May.

Ramps taste like a cross between garlic and scallions, with a white bulb and elongated, broad leaves. Like scallions, both the leaves and bulb are edible. I slice the bulbs thinly and sauté them before adding the leaves. I mix them with spring greens for dumplings or with a mix of peas and asparagus and morels for the quintessential spring vegetable mix.

Pickling ramps helps preserve their spring flavor for a few months longer.
Shad Roe is an east coast spring delicacy, also only available in the spring, when the shad leaves the ocean to mate in the fresh waters of the Delaware river. The roe is harvested in “sacs” (or ovaries if you want to be graphic about it). The thin membrane holds together millions of little roe, the size of typical caviar.

But unlike caviar or taramasalta, the roe is fresh, not salted or preserved. The flavor is sweet and earthy (like fresh-water fish) with a mild saltwater taste.

I pan-fried shad roe with the classic garnishes of capers and bacon, and the less classic pickled ramps. I made a sauce with balsamic vinegar, tomatoes (canned from last summer) and butter.
The greens in the background is from the first harvest of my own mesclun. No dressing, but enough other flavors on the plate that it really didn’t need anything.