Fresh chickpeas on toast
Fresh chickpeas—who knew? I discovered these last spring at
the farmer’s market. Eaten raw, they’re crunchy and green, similar to a fresh
pea. Cooking fresh chickpeas causes them to lose their soft green color and
turn into the beige legume we all know. It was my friend Stacy’s idea to pair
these with toast—genius. They’re a nod to the spring classic, peas on toast,
but the chickpea flavor is a little quieter. Their shelling requires patience;
listen to music and share the task with a handful of friends and a bottle of
wine.
Ingredients
·
1 baguette, sliced into ½-inch rounds
·
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
·
16 ounces fresh chickpeas in their pods (about 2 cups shelled)
·
Zest and Juice of 1 lemon
·
1 clove garlic, minced
·
2 tablespoons fresh mint, cut into ribbons (chiffonade), plus
more for serving
·
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
·
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided freshly ground black pepper to
taste
·
1 cup ricotta
Recipe
·
Preheat the oven to 350°f.
·
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush each side
lightly with olive oil. Toast the bread for about 20 minutes, turning once,
until golden brown.
·
Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas. Shell them and place in a
medium bowl. You should have about 2 cups.
·
In a small bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoons of olive oil,
lemon juice, garlic, mint, dill, ½ teaspoon of the salt and black pepper to
taste. Pour the dressing over the chickpeas and toss to evenly distribute. set
aside.
·
In another bowl, combine the ricotta, lemon zest and the remaining
¼ teaspoon salt.
·
Assemble the toasts by spreading about 2 teaspoons of the ricotta
mixture over each toast, followed by a spoonful of chickpeas and a drizzle of
their dressing. Garnish with mint, dill and pepper. Serve immediately.
Fresh chickpeas on
toast
