24 Boxes Cookbook is now available on Amazon!

Just in time for box season, you can now purchase the 24 Boxes :: 1 Book on Amazon! Don’t be fooled by the “only 1 left in stock” – I can get them more inventory lickety-split :)


You can also continue to purchase the book directly from me at www.weidea.com. Thank you for your support!

Chickpea Salad with Toasted Spices and Yogurt Dressing

The first box of the season is always met with anticipation and excitement. I can count on beautiful, purple scallions making an appearance in the first few Angelic Organics boxes. I love the bright burst of color they add to a dish. This salad teases and tantalizes three of your senses – The sounds of the toasted spices sizzling and popping in the pan. The fragrance of the spices and ghee as they collide with the chickpeas. And then, there’s the taste – creamy and cool yogurt, warm and nutty spices and chickpeas. What better way to make use of those gorgeous, purple scallions?

Chickpea Salad with Toasted Spices and Yogurt Dressing
Click here for a print-friendly PDF file (new 2011 design!)

ingredients
1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (1 5 ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3/4 cup thick Greek yogurt
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
kosher salt
fresh black pepper

first
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, scallions, cilantro and mint. Set aside. Rinse and drain chickpeas and place in a large bowl. Set aside.

next
In a pan over medium, heat ghee or olive oil. Add mustard seeds and coo for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cumin, fennel and red pepper flake. Continue to stir until spices are fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop, approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat.

Be careful! The hot mustard seeds can sputter and jump, and the cumin seeds can go from toasted to burnt in a flash.

last
Pour warm spices and ghee over chickpeas and stir. Add yogurt dressing, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve warm or room temperature.

How to Open and Break Down a CSA Box

It’s been a long time my friends! But I’m hoping that blogging is like riding a bike and I’ll fall back easily into a routine of recipe writing and posting. We’re getting closer and closer to the start of the CSA box season and starting to get a taste of what’s to come at the Farmer’s Markets that are now open.

In anticipation of the boxes, I want to take this opportunity to review how to open and properly break down a CSA box. These workhorses can take a lot of wear and tear and, if properly cared for, can last the whole season – which saves the farms money and keeps the boxes out of landfills for as long as possible.

To see it in action, Angelic Organics produced this great video that walks you through step-by-step how to open and break down a CSA box.

A tip if you’re new to CSA boxes: part of the reason they hold up so well is a coating of wax on the inside AND outside of the box. So be careful if you’re wearing your favorite little black sundress or concert t-shirt – otherwise you can end up with a white smudge across the front of your clothes!

This year I will also be reporting for The Local Beet: Chicago blog. If you haven’t visited the Local Beet yet, it’s an awesome resource for anyone interested in local food and especially for CSA shareholders. I’m looking forward to cooking, blogging and working my way through 24 boxes with you this season. Stay tuned!