Umbrian chickpea stew + some cabbage
Don't skip the lemon.
This is an adaptation of a dish I had on a very cold and rainy day in Umbria, just down the road from Collecapretta. We spent the morning in a marathon tasting of wines that were really very lovely, but we were all freezing our asses off in that cellar, and no amount of wine was going to help. Miraculously, someone showed up with a big crockpot of ceci and a bottle of olive oil. It was true, humble Umbrian fare—just a big pot of good chickpeas boiled with pepper and drowned in even better olive oil.
This version takes the best parts of that dish's simplicity and throws in some cabbage for the sake of vitamins. It's incredibly simple, easy to make, and one of the most comforting meals I've ever had. It also freezes really well—make some extra so you have some on hand next time you need a little soup-hug. I like it with lots of grated parmesan (or pecorino) and a big hunk of crusty bread.
One note: I use Rancho Gordo garbanzo beans for this—they’re a little fancier, but the flavor is REALLY VERY GOOD. You can find them at any Formaggio location OR order them online right from Rancho Gordo. For darker dried chickpeas (brown chickpeas), which have a deeper, earthier flavor, head to an Indian grocery like Taj Mahal Desi Bazaar and look for Kala Chana or Bengal Gram. Dried beans do make a big difference, but of course it’s an extra step. (If you have an Instant Pot, you can fully cook dried beans in 45 minutes! Just put that pressure on high, baby!) If you don’t want to do any of that, fuck it! Canned is fine.
Another key to this recipe is really good olive oil. I prefer the kind made by winemakers, for reasons that are probably obvious. We sell some at Wild Child :)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried chickpeas or 2 cups cooked/canned chickpeas (if you’re using cooked chickpeas, you’ll need a quart or so of veg stock or chix stock—if you’re cooking your own chickpeas, just reserve the cooking water). If using dried chickpeas, they’ll need to be soaked for 8 hours and boiled until tender before starting this recipe.
1 head green or Savoy cabbage
1 medium white or yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic (honestly, I use 6 but I'm a freak)
2 sprigs rosemary or 2 tbsp dried rosemary
¼ cup good olive oil (plus more to drizzle)
1 lemon
Salt + pepper to taste
PREP
Cut the core out of the cabbage and chop it into 1-inch chunks. Cut the rest of the cabbage leaves into thin ribbons (the size of the ribbon doesn't really matter, no stress). Slice the onion and smash the garlic (and the patriarchy!)
COOKING
Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large pan or dutch oven and toss the onion and cabbage core in the pan with around a tsp of salt and a hearty pinch of pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent (I like to let them brown a little to bump the umami but it isn’t necessary).When the onions are almost done, toss the garlic in and cook for 5ish minutes until aromatic. Throw in the rosemary and the cabbage leaves, cover and let it cook, stirring occasionally, for 30sih minutes, or until the cabbage is sweet and tender. You might need to add a little water occasionally, depending on the cabbage’s water content. Combine with the chickpeas in their water/stock and simmer another 30 mins or so (this is just to let the flavor develop, so if you’re starving just skip this part and eat it). Season to taste. Finish with a very hearty glug/drizzle of good olive oil, fresh-grated parmesan, tons of cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon (don’t skip the lemon, it makes a huge difference).
FILM REC
Happy as Lazzaro—part fantasy, part heartbreaking exploration of the surreal chasms created by class. Bizarre and unsettling, but in a way that sort of suspends you in your own existential questions. Transportive, in that there is no reality here. Visually edible, with masterful pacing by director Alice Rohrwacher.
FILM REC
I Am Love—About who we are, who we want to be, who we want to love us, and what gets in the way of all of it. And food. Also about food. I know you've all seen Call Me By Your Name, but for some reason many of you have not seen I Am Love. Also TILDA SWINTON IS A GODDESS in this film, as she always is.