This is the sort of thing that can be thrown together with help from the pantry and leftovers, and is just right for a cold evening or lunch time. Or, if like me you are tired of cereal or omelets for breakfast, fire this up and add a couple poached or basted eggs on top and enjoy. You can also skip the eggs and have a piece of toast spread with some soft goat cheese smoked olive oil and you have a complete protein breakfast.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and torn into ½ inch bits, squeezed and crumpled
1 head fennel, cored and cut into ¼-inch or smaller dice, stalks reserved for something else
½ medium white or yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch or smaller dice
1 to 1½ cups cooked farro (See recipe for Basic Farro, and use a little of the fennel fronds in the recipe)
1 can of low-sodium garbanzo beans/chickpeas, rinsed well*
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8th cup cilantro leaves
Cilantro oil to taste (See recipe for Cilantro Oil), and/or some Olio Nuovo (try Belle Farms just-released Olio Nuovo with this dish)
Olive oil as needed
1 heaping ¼-cup pistachios or pine-nuts if you wish
Options: You can go different routes with this dish. For a South West direction, use cumin seed and coriander seed and a little powdered chili such as an arbol or cayenne. Mid-East flavors are evoked with cumin, coriander, a little turmeric and ginger (a pinch of curry with extra cumin can work) or some Urfa biber, perhaps Spanish with oregano and thyme and finish cooking the chickpeas in Pimenton de la Vera (smoked paprika)
METHOD:
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan generously. Once the oil is shivering, add the fennel and onions, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook gently until translucent.
Meanwhile, heat the chickpeas and cook through until tender. You can do this in a steamer, or if you wish to imbue more flavor, cook them in oil that has been seasoned with spices or herbs and garlic. If using Pimenton, add it now so it permeates just the peas.
When the fennel and onion are quite tender, add the kale and toss to combine and coat with oil. Add a little wine or water and pop a top on the pan for around 2 minutes. Remove the top, stir about, and season as you wish. (For the SW version, go light on chili if you use it, and use a teaspoon of fresh ground toasted cumin seed and coriander seed, powdered. Measurements are similar with the other spices.)
Once the kale is tender, and the liquid has been driven off, add the farro. If the farro is cold, warm it prior to adding to the dish. Add the farro and stir it in, tossing until the dish is hot.
When the farro is warmed through, add the chickpeas and heat through, tossing gently, then drizzle with the cilantro oil. Be sure to toss the dish well, and then add the nuts. If using Olio Nuovo, drizzle it now.
Taste, season with salt and pepper to taste, and scatter with the cilantro leaves. Serve hot or room temp.
Chef’s Notes: *To easily rinse the chickpeas, open the can and use the top to keep the ceci in. Drain, then rinse a couple times. Take off the top and put the can into a strainer without the top and fill, empty, then rinse and drain. Your ceci are good to go. If you wish, you can make them from scratch. I recommend you do this the day before.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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