In equal measure
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 1:03PM 
I've stopped in with some chickpeas today, along with a recipe that has me acting like a crazy person.
How so? Well, let's read the ingredients. You will surely recognize the usual suspects, robust olive oil, our old friend garlic, aromatic leeks and of course the chickpeas. Then there's twangy lemon and woodsy rosemary, adding height and depth to the mix. Last, the salt. Can't forget that, the universal leveler, the thing that amplifies individual flavours while miraculously creating overall harmony.
But no pepper.
Who have I become? It's unlike me to bring Salt along without it's bosom buddy Pepper. And often I go one step further, with dried chili flakes, cayenne or Kashmiri chili thrown in for kicks. But in this case, (deep breath) I have decided I don't want pepper anywhere near this meal.
Let me give you some sense of this tumble of stewy leeks and chickpeas; they cook up in a way that is gratifyingly substantial, as is our need in these January days. But they are just cooked, without a trace of sludginess, still firm and springy-centered. Silken leeks curl around their goldeness, the pale jadeite strands are floral and sweet. The rosemary and lemon are noticed to be sure, but their forms are blurred at the edges, melting into and carrying forth the flavours of the others in equal measure.
The full effect is something akin to what it would be like to read the collected poems of e.e. cummings by spoon rather than by eye. While there is a variation in tone from bite to bite, there are no full stops or pesky uppercase letters to interrupt the rhythm we've got going here. Pepper would break up that essential mellowness, its wham! bang! personality, although a virtue elsewhere, would be too much for the delicate structure of this dish to bear.
We can't have that. So, I've banished the pepper. Scandalous behaviour, on my part.
Secondly, I'm mad for this stuff. Straight out of the pan it is terribly good, with some wilted bitter greens or steamed broccoli rabe nearby to swirl into the herby, lemony, garlic-infused olive oil left behind. Or, pour in few glugs of stock (chicken or vegetable, please) and suddenly there's soup. It can be eaten as is, with perhaps some Parmesan, or blitzed into a purée (but take the rosemary sprigs out before bringing out the heavy machinery).
Whatever way, in mine at least, hold the pepper.
Chickpeas with Leeks and Lemon
I was heavy-handed with the olive oil, as I knew I wanted that excess to dress the greens served alongside. For a lighter dish, or if your intended result is soup, reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons. Adding the rosemary back to the pan at the end gives a final hit of herbal steam. The twig, and the clove of garlic, can be removed before serving if desired.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, bruised but whole
1 6-inch branch fresh rosemary, broken in two
4 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and with the white and light green parts sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
kosher salt
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/2 lemon
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, garlic and rosemary over medium heat. Once the garlic turns fragrant and the rosemary begins to sizzle, remove the rosemary but reserve for later.
Add the leeks to the pan, along with a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the leeks are soft and sweet but still brightly green, around 5 minutes. Tip in the chickpeas, and continue to cook for a 5 minutes more, at which point the chickpeas should have darkened slightly in colour.
Using a microplane or zester, add a few scrapes of lemon zest to the pan, along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. Check for seasoning, adding more juice, zest or salt as needed. Return the reserved rosemary sprigs to the pan, and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4.
chickpeas, herb, leeks, legume, lemon, lunch, recipe, rosemary, vegetables, vegetarian 
Reader Comments (41)
beautifully written Tara! I love the simplicity of this dish and can not wait to make it! thank you
Your photos are so pretty and crisp. But I need to remember not to look at this when i'm hungry :)
what a lovely post!
i adore pepper, so this is going to take some epic restraint on my behalf to keep....it..off....
cannot wait to try this. ;)
oh, wow, I love the way you've described this - e.e. cummings by the spoon, indeed!
Every single time i comment, I have to praise you for your writing. I dont care if it gets old, it needs to be said. Every week. I am obsessed with pepper; overly obsessed because i like it's strong presence in everything, and how it always fits. This dish however looks like so many things i love, and i will trust your judgement!
Have been hearing "seven spoons" all over the place, it seems.
Finally here.
Lovely!
And I'm a SWOntarian too!
Goodness. Another tempting recipe. You go, girl.
PS. I've given you a little head nod/award-but-not-an-award over on my blog. Come and get it!
It's funny that pepper is one of those things we just add automatically, without really stopping to consider whether a dish really *needs* it. Or I do, at least!
But this looks great and I plan to make it as soon as I can. As always, gorgeous writing and photos!
I admit I can be a pepper monkey too. Love strong flavors and the bite it adds. However, this looks good.
One question on garbanzo beans, some folks have expressed concern over the side effects (gas) when eating these tasty legumes. Any particular method to reduce it? I use a bit of baking soda with my black beans but it still hasn't been all that effective with the chick peas.
FYI, I make a Carribean bean salad with chick peas that is quite opposite of this dish. Will let you know. Peppers galore!
Any dish with chickpeas is a hit in my book. And I adore leeks - why are they so underused? Sludgy - what an amazing word for what they become when overcooked. As usual, you are a word (and chickpea) master.
All of my favorite things in one bowl....but it will be terribly difficult to exclude my pepper grinder from this party. I too am an addict. Lovely post.
Beautifully said Tara. Sounds lovely, very hungry-making!
The dish is so simple but I bet it tastes good! Thanks for posting.
Such a simple dish, but presented so artfully, in both pictures and words. I got to try the Kashmiri chili - I have never heard of it. What is the most typical ingredient combination for it? Thank you for the recipe.
This photo is awesome-makes me want to eat some garbanzos now...
love.
Couldn't help but chuckle reading your post. We just moved into a new apartment and you know how it is when you have a big move and have to restock your pantry, spices etc.? Well, every time I go to the market I have a list with odd things like coriander and cumin seeds--and darn if I don't continue to forget the simple pepper! So maybe it's a sign I was meant to make this recipe. Thanks, Tara!
So lovely. You nailed it with your pepper description. It would have just taken command of this dish, and we can't have that.
oh my, chickpeas and cummings, all in one post? it doesn't get much better!
this is a beautiful and simple dish, you are right, sometimes no pepper is required. i love how you write, "...but their forms are blurred at the edges". x shayma
Citrus and chickpeas are the best friends - this sounds absolute perfection! Thanks for the recipe Tara!
I just love chick peas. This sounds delicious.
I am quite sure I could eat this all in one sitting!
The dish looks so simple and that is what I like. And I like the way you had written this post. Thanks for sharing a wonderful dish.
I simply adore this recipe Tara!