Chickpea stew improvs

Having bought far too many greens (swiss chard and baby beet greens) at the market on Sunday, I decided something had to be done before they started wilting and that that something had to involve chickpeas (garbanzo beans). 

For some reason, I've been mulling over this amazing chickpea stew I had in Assisi, a town in Perugia, Italy, famous for St. Francis. This dish made me redefine how I saw chickpeas and value them beyond "healthy thing" or "thing to be pureed into hummus." It was a simple dish with chickpeas, tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh rosemary sprigs, all baked in individual clay pots to the point where the chickpeas reached a consistency of tender veal and blended with all of the simple but strong flavors in one happy, clean tasting food melange.

My own dish was a less simple and highly improvised. 

Chickpea stew with baby beet greens and swiss chard

Sautee fresh garlic greens in a little bit of olive oil in a non-stick pan or heavy bottomed skillet. Add an entire washed, spun and chopped bunch of baby beet greens including stalks into the pan and cook until greens are wilted and stalks translucent. Add an entire washed, spun and chopped bunch of swiss chard into the mixture in batches until all the greens are just cooked through. Place cooked greens in a separate bowl and put pan back on the stove top. 

If needed, add another swig of olive oil and sautee diced sweet baby peppers (approximately 3-4) and 2 large chopped ripe tomatoes. While the mixture is cooking, empty a can of chickpeas into a colander and wash several times. Add the chickpeas into pan and let simmer on the stovetop for at least 10 - 15 minutes. 

Place the cooked greens mixture and the chickpeas in an ovenproof casserole with cover. Add sliced fresh basil and fresh thyme, salt and red pepper to taste, and another dash of olive oil. Stir gently, cover, and place casserole in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees. Let the stew cook at least 30 minutes, remove from heat, adjust seasoning to taste and serve. 

The final product: 

I found the dish went wonderfully with this German Pinot Noir (who knew the Germans made good pinot?) and ate it on its own with blackberries and a wedge of stilton for dessert. 

Happy cooking. 

E. 

Transitions - new beginnings and first meals

The past few weeks have found me on the road, in the middle of a move, and finally, somewhat settled. Along the way has been many memorable meals (sadly fewer cooked than planned but posts to come), a few unexpected twists and turns, and a torrent of emotions far too personal (and probably banal) to share. 

Today was my first day alone in my new digs and c'etait pas mal du tout. There is nothing quite like looking around and thinking this is my place where I'm going to live by myself for a while. Yes, me, me, me, but it has been awhile since I've lived alone, and I like it. A lot. 

My parents were kind enough to help me move, treat me to lovely Lebanese mezes at Neyla's (where we spotted DHS Secretary Napolitano and her extensive security detail), brunch at le Pain Quotidien, as well as help me stock my fridge from the Dupont market and Trader Joes. 

Our first dinner in last night was a simple affair, a little homemade fresh salsa/pico de gallo (this time with fresh garlic bulbs and greens and amazing organic cilantro), crabcakes (bought from the crabcake guy at the market), a little ribeye and a large green salad. Not many recipes to share but a great night.

Tonight was my first night hosting, and I had two lovely ladies to entertain. I made some marinated olives  and toasted nuts (recipes below), cracked open some Oberon, and put on Elvis. We had a little girly dance party (much to the great amusement of my neighbors, I'm sure) and Miriam and I will get to spend tomorrow morning together while Liv is at work and the movers are packing them out.

Marinated Green Olives: 

Empty a package of Middle Eastern Green olives in a large bowl, including any juice it is packed in. Add the juice of one lime and one lemon, and cut up 1/2 a lime into small wedges and add to mixture. Chop up some fresh basil and oregeno, and add to mixture. Add kosher salt, red pepper, and dried mint to taste. Add a healthy dash of olive oil, stir, and let marinate at room temperature for at least one hour. 

Roasted mixed nuts: 

Heat a large non-stick pan until it is hot and add your choice of mixed nuts. I added pistachios, almonds, and peanuts. Add kosher salt, red pepper and dried mint and cook while shaking the pan until the nuts are fully roasted and the flavor evenly coated. 

Voila viola. For those of you in town, a tres bientot. For those of you near by, bienvenue!

Road trip reflections, early impressions

This past week has found me and two close friends from Paris on our Great American Road Trip (East Coast version a la francaise). We've already put over 1,000 miles on our rented red Chevy, driving from Ann Arbor to New York City in one fell swoop, then down to Washington, DC, and today back up to Boston. 

The trip has been amazing and unexpectedly quirky, a chance to catch up with friends old and new, en route to far away places like Mexico City and Seoul, and spend lots and lots of time on the road. Lots. New York to DC was the worst stretch thus far as we hit both New York and DC rush hour with a vengeance. Rather, they hit us and the trip took a total of 12 hours. 

We've already had some memorable meals. Rather then going into detail in a fatigued and loopy state (8 1/2 hours of driving today) below are some illustrated highlights with further details to be filled in soon: 

Afternoon beers and crab cakes in Baltimore, in the neighborhood where the best show ever, Homicide: Life on the Streets, was filmed: 

Having the wife a a prominent politician buy me beers in the afternoon at Nathan's in Georgetown because she saw me sitting alone with my paper and elevated bum knees. The conversation improved as the beers kept on flowing. It would have been rude to resist and beer does have a very real therapeutic value in terms of pain killing/numbing:

Dinner at Marvin's with their lovely steak-frites, beers, and noisy but entertaining ambiance:

And finally, eating sushi and sesame noodles with chopsticks in a car today - no I wasn't driving (that would have been impressive) -  but when you stop in Old Greenwich for a quick snack, you might as well go local: 

There are many, many more anecdotes to follow, and the hospitality we have received has been amazing. I'll end with a picture of our Boston friend's cat, as I'm acutely missing my own, and he is quite darling: 

A tres bientot - 

E.