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)
love this post ..made me smile : ) and thanks for the lovely recipe! xoxo
Coco and Jen, thank you both!
iamchanelle, I'd never force anyone to hold the pepper on theirs :)
Danielle, thanks so much.
Sara, thank you friend. Kind of you, as always.
Jason, welcome neighbour! I'll admit, I'm curious to know these places you're hanging around and hearing my name ...
Mama JJ, off to look!
Ele, I do that too. Truth be told, the first time I made this, I did add pepper, instinctually. And it stood out. Fiercely. Next time around, I left it out.
Andrea, "pepper monkey" - I like that. Your salad sounds delicious!
Dana, I found it so nice that you were making chickpeas this week too. Your soup looked delicious. S got me in the habit of keeping leeks in the house as they're the basis of his favourite soup. Now they're indispensable.
carolyn, be strong! Try to resist the charms of the peppercorn.
djp and dining table, thank you!
Gosia, Kashmiri Chillies are deep red peppers, sold dried. They impart a rich colour and a mild to medium heat. The chilies are often used whole and in powder form in Indian cooking, and I often use the powder in place of paprika.
Cam de la Ron, thanks!
nikole, hi friend.
Megan Gordon, you're so welcome! Evidently the universe wants you to make this dish :)
Julie "taken command" that's it! Leave it to you to have the perfect phrase.
molly, glad you think so!
shayma and tiina, you're both so right.
Post Grad Hair Cut, thanks!
fresh365, I could say that about your lemongrass tofu. So yum.
baby cribs, you're welcome.
All Recipes, so nice of you to say.
Leeks, rosemary and garlic - how could you go wrong? Bookmarking this gem.
i love this recipe, it looks fantastic. thanks for posting it. also- love the photos!
I enjoyed reading this post. I usually use pepper too, but habits are meant to be broken. Your dish looks excellent without it. I'm a convert. Who needs pepper!
This looks fantastic! Can't wait to try it. Looks like it would be great to take to the office for lunch the next day.
This sounds wonderful. All my favorite ingredients!
I make a similar dish pretty often. Not sure exactly what it is about the chickpea / leek combination that's so good, but it hits the spot every time. Especially with some lemon thrown in there.
I like this. Kind of like chinese boiled peanuts.
Mmm...I have a special place in my heart (er...belly?) for chickpeas. I typically just toss them in a pasta dish or on top of a green salad, but this recipe sounds delicious. It is definitely on my list for next week.
Love your writing, as always. I do wish you would publish a book. :)
I probably should not check your blog when I'm starving at work, but here I am. I cannot wait to try out this recipe when I get home. It looks so delicious.
I have two big cans of chickpeas that I have been waiting to use for something special and delicious! Thanks for the perfect recipe! I know what's for dinner tonight!
i'm obsessed with all things coconut, to put it mildly. your gorgeous loaf is calling my name. BIG time. :)
Your writing sold me. (Jadeite strands?! I'm SO IN.) Been buying dried chickpeas lately, and I can never figure out what to do with them all once I cook them. Will have to let you know how it turns out. Thanks for this!
What do you mean by cooked chickpeas? Would the ones out of the can not work?
Thanks!
hi! canned chickpeas are fine - they've been cooked already. it's only noted in the case you're working with dried ones!