What We’re Eating and Drinking – Ceci/Garbanzo/Chick Pea Salad and Sangiovese
This week I was longing for a favorite of Stefan’s, a chick pea salad that he probably started getting for lunch 10 years back, when we were living in Soho and Dean and Deluca’s was our midday stop. He then found a place to get a similar salad in Cold Spring when we moved upstate. In general, we all like our chick peas around here, but despite this, my son only just learned the name of this legume this month. We’ve been calling them by their Spanish name, garbanzos, since he was born, so he was quite surprised a few weeks ago when he was explaining to an American friend that garbanzos grow in the field next to our house, and he had no idea what Zo was talking about. When his wording was met with a blank stare, he was initially taken aback at the thought that his friend had never eaten a tasty garbanzo. Eventually though, they got to the Italian word for it, ceci, that they both knew, and made the leap to chick pea. Zo couldn’t believe he had made it to 11 without a clue that those words existed! A whole conversation ensued about all the English words my sister and I didn’t put together until after college… but we’ll leave that adventure in multilingualism for another day.
The version of the garbanzo/chick pea/ceci salad that I’m making this time is an adaptation of a Jamie Oliver recipe. It’s pretty simple and involves mixing up the following ingredients with a dressing made of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, diced shallots, and salt and pepper to taste. (You could start out with a 3:1 mix of oil and lemon, and add more lemon if you like. Same with shallots, toss in half a shallot and add more if you like.) The other ingredients are:
14 oz can of chick peas, rinsed and warmed in pan
handful of mint
handful of basil
handful of chopped black olives
feta
Once the garbanzos are warm, mash up a handful of them, and toss the whole ones into the dressing. Once the handful is mashed, toss that in too. Mix and let them marinate for a little while, and then add in the rest of the ingredients, except for the feta. When you’re ready to eat, serve and top each serving with the feta (and a bit more lemon.) The pic above also has chopped tomatoes, which I would add if I had any!
We’ll be drinking a bottle of Sangiovese that’s calling my name!
Christine: Ray swears that chick peas have some negative effect on him so I’m never allowed to make many meals with them around here. That said, I love them and the salad sounds delicious. We’re not quite in salad mode here yet–you’ll see on my side that we’re still roasting veggies like it’s January–but I’m going to tuck this one away for when spring comes to upstate New York. Maybe in June?
What We’re Talking About – Habits
It’s taken me about 10 days to recover from my 5 days of skiing, and that’s left me feeling a bit like one of the Golden Girls. I try to explain away my fatigue by blaming it on not just the skiing, but the new environment, the excitement of being in the Alps for the first time, the following kids around who are learning to ski, the pushing it too hard, the not being able to ski with Stefan (because he’s so damn good at it!) and on and on, but in reality I think it’s just that I’m old. At least, older. Maybe if I were in better shape, a week of this kind of activity wouldn’t kick me in the butt the way that it did! There’s a part of me that reacts by thinking let’s getting on that exercising right now, but the part of me that likes to sit, will likely win out. It’s probably the case that these two parts will continuing feuding for the next few years until one wins definitively, and decides how the second half of my life plays out. Scary thought. Probably because I know the odds!
Interestingly, a certain level of mental clarity has emerged after my ski hangover. It seems the challenge of improving my skills on the mountain has put me in touch with all that is not possible in the world, and in my case, I think that’s a good thing. You see, I’m seemingly interested in way too many things, and that can make a mess out of most days as I run from one thing to another, with my mind leaving the present task way before it’s done in pursuit of the next thing. This week, however, I’m much more in touch with the idea that only so much can be done, so it makes more sense to block out all those other tempting topics and projects, and get down to doing what’s on the schedule for today. It’s a remarkably freeing and productive way to think. But I’ve been here before, and I know that eventually, I’ll get bored with this routine, and I’ll go right back to chasing rainbows. It’s exhausting, but those damn colors are so pretty! I think you mentioned something about new habits in your post yesterday about Daylight Savings Time, and I think the only way I could really change my ways is by forcing some kind of routine on myself for at least a few months (3, 6, 12!?) in attempt to hardwire this new habit in my brain. But who am I kidding, I’ve already forgotten what I’m talking about!
Tell me, how are you doing with new habits? (And please pretend I’m pouring a big glass of Sangiovese while I ask this question.) I hope you’re feeling better and that someone’s made you some delicious chicken soup. I know you have a busy weekend, but keep getting rest and let people help you! Mary Ann, Ray, Noah, please remind her! Love to you all.
Christine: Yep. Old. That’s how I’ve felt all this week, too. I picked up a cold somewhere and it’s knocked me on my butt. I’ve always enjoyed (taken for granted) my good health. I don’t usually get sick and when I do I’m usually over whatever ails me in 36 hours TOPS. This week, though, I’ve gotten my socks knocked off by a head cold. What GIVES? This was supposed to be the week that I started Supreme 90 (more on that another time) as well as a week that the temperature finally rose about freezing and I was going to start hiking with my ladies again and, instead, I’ve been in bed. SLEEPING DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. My immune system is just one more part of me that’s old and worn out! I will try to take it easy this weekend. Luckily my parents are coming so perhaps I’ll relax. My parents will miss having a FND with you guys this week!