Posts Tagged With: winter

Lemon myrtle tea

Posted on August 15, 2016 by melhm

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We make all sorts of herbal tea variations at Bondi, using aromatic lemongrass leaves, lemon balm, lemon verbena, mint, lemon thyme, chamomile, citrus rind and ginger… The tea is easy to make and lovely chilled from the fridge overnight too, once the tea has brewed just remove the leaves so that it doesn’t stew.

Foraged bush tucker: lemon myrtle leaves
Recipe source: Melissa Moore
Makes: 3 litres

Equipment:

  • Stockpot
  • Serving jugs

 

 Ingredients:

  • A bunch of lemon myrtle leaves
  • 3 litres water

 

What to do:

  • Fill the stockpot with water and set it on high to boil with the lid on.
  • Rinse the bunch of leaves well in cold water and shake dry. Remove the leaves from the branch, discarding the branch.
  • Once the water is boiling, turn the pot off and carefully drop the herbs in.
  • Let the tea steep for several minutes and serve, ladling the tea carefully into jugs.

Notes: What else is herbal tea know as? What other herbs or spices could you use? What does aromatic mean?

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The best pumpkin soup ever!

Posted on June 4, 2016 by melhm

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This classic soup recipe has got to be the easiest one of all – and takes no time to cook! If you want to be a bit grown-up you can also garnish with some lightly toasted pine nuts and a dollop of Greek yoghurt but my kids like it just as it is…

Fresh from the garden: pumpkin, leek, thyme, coriander
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Mixing bowls
  • Measures: tablespoon
  • Scales
  • Salad spinner
  • Large stockpot
  • Stick blender
  • Ladle
  • Serving bowls
  • Scissors
 Ingredients:

  • 1kg pumpkin, any type
  • One large leek
  • A small bunch of thyme
  • 20g butter
  • Olive oil
  • A tablespoon of ground cumin
  • A tablespoon of ground coriander
  • 1.5 litres water
  • 2 tablespoons bouillon
  • Flaked salt and black pepper
  • A small bunch of coriander

 What to do:

  1. Fill the kettle to 1.5 litres and set it to boil.
  2. Wash the pumpkin then place on a chopping board and scoop out all the seeds and membranes, saving for the chooks. Carefully slice off the skin – you may need to chop it up into a few smaller pieces first – then slice the pumpkin flesh into thin slices and reserve.
  3. Wash the leek under running water, trimming off the root and outer rough leaves, and slicing half way down the middle lengthways and peeling out to release any dirt trapped inside. Then slice into thin rings.
  4. Wash the thyme and dry it, then strip off the leaves and reserve. Wash the coriander and spin dry and reserve.
  5. Heat the butter and a glug of olive oil in the stockpot until bubbling, then add the chopped leek, the thyme and a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes until the leek softens.
  6. Add in the sliced pumpkin and the two spices and stir again, then put the lid on the stockpot and turn right down to the lowest simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. Add in the boiling water until just covering the pumpkin, add in the bouillon with a grind of pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile using the scissors, snip the coriander stalks and leaves into tiny pieces
  9. Plug in the stick blender and whizz until super-smooth. Taste to check if there is enough salt and add if needed.
  10. Ladle into bowls and garnish with coriander snips and serve straight away!

Notes: Where does the dirt hide in a leek? Is pumpkin skin edible?

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Kale, potato and egg soup

Posted on June 4, 2016 by melhm

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Amazing what you can put in a soup isn’t it? Sounds very simple this one, but the flavours and bold and bright at the end. And it’s perfect for this freezing, wintry and blustery day…

Fresh from the garden: potatoes, garlic, kale, eggs
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe on thekitchn.com
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Garlic press
  • Measures: tablespoon, teaspoon
  • Medium stockpot
  • 4 little bowls or ramekins
  • Ladle
  • Microplane grater
  • 4 serving bowls

 

 Ingredients:

  • 2 medium yellow potatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cooking salt
  • 1.5 litres water
  • 2 tablespoons bouillon
  • 1 bunch kale (about 15 big leaves)
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4 large eggs
  • Flaked salt and pepper
  • 20g grana padano or parmesan cheese
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

What to do:

  1. Scrub the potatoes then chop it onto centimetre cubes. Peel the garlic cloves and squeeze them through the garlic press.
  2. Add potato, garlic, salt, water and bouillon to a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.
  3. While the potatoes start to cook, wash the kale and shake dry over the sink. Remove any thick, tough stems and chop them into tiny pieces. Add the chopped stems to the pot with the potatoes and simmer for 2 minutes.
  4. Stack the leaves of kale on top of each other. Slice them crosswise into thin ribbons, and add them to the pot with the potatoes and kale stems. If necessary, add more stock or water to the pot to just about cover the kale.
  5. Cover the pot and let the soup cook for 8 to 10 minutes. The soup is ready when the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, and when a ribbon of kale has become tender, but has not yet become stringy or pulpy. Stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with more salt and fresh cracked pepper. Also add more stock or water if a more liquid soup is desired.
  6. To finish, crack the eggs into little bowls, and then gently slide them into the soup. Ladle some of the soup broth on top of the eggs to submerge them. Put the lid back on the pot and cook for 4 minutes. When done, the whites of the eggs should be opaque, but the yolk should still be soft. If the eggs break into the soup before they are poached, just use a fork to swirl them into the soup.
  7. Carefully spoon the eggs into a soup bowls. Ladle the soup on top. Finish with a grating of grana padano cheese and a thin drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Notes: What else could you put into a soup? What else could you use instead of kale?

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Spinach and roasted garlic pizza

Posted on June 4, 2016 by melhm

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This pizza bianca uses no tomato sauce, instead creamy ricotta is mixed with blanched spinach, roasted garlic and grated mozzarella and is quite the delicious thing!

Fresh from the garden: spinach, garlic, basil
Recipe source: Melissa
Makes: 4 medium pizze

Equipment:

·       Medium stockpot

·       Measures – cup, tablespoon, teaspoon

·       Foil

·       Colander

·       Bowls – large, med

·       Chopping boards & knives

·       Salad spinner

·       Scales

·       Grater

·       2 baking trays

·       Pastry brush

·       Wide egg lifter

·       Pizza cutting wheel

·      Serving plates

 Ingredients:

·       A 500g quantity of Hugh’s Magic Dough

·       1 head of garlic

·       Extra virgin olive oil

·       2 cups ricotta cheese

·       A large sprig basil

·       A teaspoon of dried oregano

·       Cooking salt

·       Flaked salt and black pepper

·       A big bunch of spinach

·       225g mozzarella cheese

 

What to do:

  1. Preheat oven to 190C.
  2. Divide your dough into two balls and leave to rest before working.

For the topping:

  1. Fill the medium stockpot with water and set it to boil with a tablespoon of salt.
  2. Separate out the garlic cloves – do not peel them! – then lay out a large square of foil and place the unpeeled garlic cloves on top. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a couple of pinches of cooking salt. Fold the foil into a sealed but loose packet and place on a tray in the oven. Roast the garlic until soft for about 25 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out of their skins, discarding the skins into the compost and reserving the garlic.
  3. Increase oven heat to 230C to prepare it for baking the pizza.
  4. Meanwhile wash the spinach in plenty of cold water and shake dry over the sink. Slice off the stems and then when the water in the pot is boiling, add all the leaves in to blanch together. Put the lid back on and cook for 3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Carefully drain into a colander placed in the sink, then press out all the water with a wooden spoon. When as dry as can be, turn out onto a chopping board and finely chop.
  5. Wash the basil, pick off the leaves and spin dry, then tear into small pieces.
  6. Weigh the mozzarella cheese and then grate it.
  7. Add half of the peeled garlic cloves to a medium bowl. Smash with a fork. Add the ricotta, a tablespoon of olive oil, basil, oregano, a pinch of salt and grind of pepper. Mix well.

Assembling the pizza:

  1. Lightly oil your baking trays and spread with a pastry brush.
  2. Roll and stretch out the pizza dough into two large rectangle shapes large enough to fill the baking trays, and then place on the greased baking trays.
  3. Top the crust with tablespoon-sized mounds of ricotta, as evenly spaced as possible. Scatter with the chopped spinach and remaining garlic cloves. Scatter mozzarella cheese over the top.

Baking the pizza:

  1. Bake at 230C until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling for about 10 minutes.
  2. Use this time to make the dough for the next class if needed.
  3. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before slicing into squares with a pizza cutter and serve.

Notes: What does to blanch mean? What happens to the garlic when it has been roasted?

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Silverbeet and garam masala soup

Posted on November 21, 2015 by melhm

Garam is the Hindi word for hot, and masala, spice mixture. We often make our own garam masala blend of ground cumin, coriander, ginger and turmeric, cayenne and mustard seeds at school but it is commonly available in the spice section of any supermarket, already blended.

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Fresh from the garden: silverbeet (Swiss chard), onion, potatoes, garlic, coriander

Recipe source: Melissa

Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Selection of mixing bowls
  • Paper towel
  • Stockpot
  • Flat-ended wooden spoon
  • Measures: jug, tablespoon, teaspoon
  • Garlic press
  • Ladle
  • Stick blender
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 1.5 litres boiling water and 2 tablespoons bouillon (or 1.5 litres vegetable stock)
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 1 brown onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • A large bunch of silverbeet
  • Olive oil
  • A heaped teaspoon garam masala
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Flaked salt
  • A small handful of coriander

What to do:

  1. Fill the kettle to 1.5 litres and set it to boil.
  2. Wash or scrub the potatoes under running water (but don’t peel!) and then coarsely chop into 2cm cubes.
  3. Peel the onion and slice into two halves, then finely chop. Peel and chop the garlic.
  4. Wash the silverbeet & shake over the sink. Finely chop the silverbeet, using the whole stalk and leaves as well.
  5. Pour olive oil to cover the base of the stockpot and heat over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion and cook on low, stirring every now and then, for 5 minutes and then add the potato and cook for another few minutes.
  6. Add in the garlic, chopped silverbeet and the garam masala and stir together. Cook very gently for a minute until aromatic.
  7. Increase heat to high. Add the 1½ litres of hot water and the 2 tablespoons of bouillon and bring to the boil, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the potato is almost tender.
  8. Meanwhile wash and pat the coriander dry and finely chop.
  9. When the soup is ready and the potato is soft, grind a little bit of pepper in too and taste to see if you need to add any extra salt.
  10. Add in the coriander and then blitz the soup with the stick blender until it’s really smooth.
  11. Taste and add more salt if you need to.
  12. Ladle soup among serving bowls and serve!

 Notes: What do is silverbeet also known as? What is in the garam masala blend? Why do potato-based soups need more salt?

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Silverbeet soup with sour cream and chives

Posted on March 13, 2015 by melhm

Slurpy, slinky soup chock-full of healthy stuff like silverbeet (or Swiss chard as it’s known in other parts), and a bit of creamy goodness too. Heaven.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: onion, potatoes, celery, chives, silverbeet, garlic
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Peelers
  • Paper towel
  • Scissors
  • Stockpot, wooden spoon
  • Scales
  • Measures: jug, ½ cup, tablespoons, teaspoons
  • Garlic press, ladle
  • Stick blender
  • Serving bowls
  • Teaspoons
 Ingredients:

  • 1 brown onion
  • 500g potatoes
  • 2 large or 3 small stalks celery
  • Small handful chives
  • 4 or 5 large silverbeet stalks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1.5 litres boiling water
  • 1.5 tablespoons bouillon
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tub crème fraîche or sour cream

What to do:

  1. Fill the kettle to the 1.5 litre mark and set it to boil.
  2. Peel and coarsely chop the onion.
  3. Peel and coarsely chop the potatoes into 2cm cubes.
  4. Wash and finely chop the celery, including leaves.
  5. Wash the chives and then roll them in a piece of paper towel. Snip into tiny pieces and reserve.
  6. Meanwhile wash the silverbeet stalks and shake dry. Slice off the stalks and finely chop, then roll up the leaves into a cigar shape and finely slice into ribbons.
  7. Heat the oil in the stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes and then add the chopped celery and cook for another few minutes.
  8. Meanwhile peel and crush the garlic, and then add the garlic and ground cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
  9. Increase heat to high. Add the stock (or hot water and bouillon) and bring to the boil. Add the potato and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until potato is almost tender.
  10. Add the chopped silverbeet stalks and cook for a few minutes and then add the sliced ribbons and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  11. Remove from heat and blitz with the stick blender. (If you have time you may want to pass the soup through a mouli to make it super-smooth.)
  12. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  13. Ladle soup among serving bowls. Using 2 teaspoons, top with a wee dollop of crème fraîche and sprinkle with chives.
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Winter salad with poached eggs and roasted bits

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melhm

We tend to veer towards slow-braised soups and stews in the winter, but I also love warm salads, blending crisp and green with warm and comforting, all in the one bowl…

Fresh from the garden: salad leaves, eggs, lemon, parsley, marjoram, thyme, coriander, chives
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 at home

Equipment:

  • Mixing bowls
  • Colander
  • Paper towel, tea towel
  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Measures:1/3 cup, tablespoon
  • 2 large baking trays
  • 2 salad spinners
  • Mortar & pestle
  • Citrus juicer
  • Mezzaluna
  • Whisk, tongs
  • Medium frying pan
  • Slotted spoon
  • Serving bowls

 

 Ingredients:

  • A handful Brussels sprouts leaves
  • A handful cauliflower florets
  • A big bunch salad leaves: mache, mizuna, rocket, lettuce
  • A large handful of herbs
  • A few garnishing flowers
  • 4 eggs
  • Ground coriander and cumin

Herby vinaigrette dressing

  • 1 clove garlic
  • Flaked salt & black pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • A small handful mixed herbs: parsley, marjoram, thyme, coriander, chives

What to do:

  • Preheat the oven the 180C.Wash the Brussels sprout leaves and cauliflower in a bowl of cold water, refilling if needed. Drain and pat dry with paper towel. Strip the leaves from the stalks and cut into ribbons. Cut the cauli into smaller florets. Turn the cauliflower into a clean dry bowl and sprinkle over a tablespoon of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, ground coriander and ground cumin and mix to combine. Place on the baking tray and then add the Brussels sprout leaves, add another tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle of salt etc. to the bowl. Lay the leaves out on a separate baking tray.
  • Roast the cauliflower for 20 minutes, then slide the tray of Brussels sprout leaves into the oven and roast for a further 5 to 10 minutes, removing when crispy.
  • Fill up 2 big bowls with cold water & wash the salad leaves in several changes of water. Spin dry and wipe the bowls dry. Lay out the tea towel and line it with kitchen paper. Spread the salad leaves over the paper and roll the whole lot up like a log. Keep the rolled parcel of leaves in the fridge until needed.
  • Fill up a medium bowl with water and wash the herbs and small garnishing leaves. Spin dry and pick leaves, discarding stalks into compost. Pick the petals from the flowers and reserve in a small bowl with the garnishing leaves. Chop the herbs finely and keep separate in their own small bowl.
  • Peel the garlic clove and put it in the mortar with a large pinch of salt. Pound to a paste. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the mortar (without pips) then stir the lot with a teaspoon and scrape it into a clean bowl. Stir in the oil and grind some pepper, then whisk the dressing lightly. Wash and spin dry the herbs, pick off the leaves and chop finely in the mezzaluna. Add to the dressing.
  • Meanwhile, to poach eggs, fill the medium sized frying pan with water and bring to a simmer. Carefully crack each egg into its own small bowl without breaking it and then carefully slide into the water. Let the pan sit for 4 minutes on the barest simmer until done.
  • Carefully remove oven tray of veggies with oven mitts and leave to cool for a few minutes.
  • Unwrap the parcel of salad leaves & tip them into the bowl with the herbs and the dressing. Add in the roasted cauliflower & sprout leaves and gently turn the leaves in the dressing using a clean hand or tongs.
  • Pile up the dressed leaves into the serving bowls, carefully drain an egg using a slotted spoon and place in the centre of each bowl of salad with garnishing petals or leaves and serve immediately.

Notes: What else could you add to a warm winter salad? What is the best way of using a mortar and pestle? What does ground coriander smell like? How is it made?

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Sharon’s broccoli soup

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melhm

Sharon is my very good friend who cooks this soup for her kids, and mine too when they stay over. It was the first soup ever that my children specifically requested! Happy birthday Mrs!

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: broccoli, potatoes, spring onions, basil
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Sharon Quill
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Mixing bowls
  • Colander
  • Salad spinner
  • Large stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Measures: tablespoon
  • Scales
  • Handheld mixer
  • Ladle
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 1.5 litres water & 1.5 tablespoons bouillon (or 1.5lt stock)
  • 500g waxy potatoes
  • A large onion
  • 4 spring onions
  • A large head broccoli & leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 2 bay leaves
  • A bunch of basil (or ready-made pesto)
  • Flaked salt and black pepper

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle up to the 1.5 litre mark and set to boil.
  • Wash and scrub potatoes & cut into 2cm cubes – do not peel. Peel and finely chop the onion.
  • Wash and trim spring onions, removing & discarding the tough outer layer. Slice into 1cm bits.
  • Wash the broccoli & shake dry. Cut off the florets leaving them walnut-sized, and chop up the stems into pieces about 1cm cubes, trimming off any hard edges. Strip any leaves from the stalks (discarding the stalks) and slice the leaves into strips.
  • Peel garlic cloves and finely slice.
  • Meltthe butter in the large stockpot over medium heat and gently sauté the chopped onion and spring onion for 2 minutes.
  • Add potato, garlic and bay leaves and turn with the wooden spoon so that the potato sweats in the butter. Add the hot water and bouillon or stock, bring to the boil then cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, if you’re using fresh basil, pick the basil leaves from the stalks and wash them, then spin dry. Using your fingers, tear them into smaller pieces.
  • After the potatoes have simmered for 10 minutes, add the broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and turn heat off. Drop the torn basil leaves, if using, into the soup or dollop in a tablespoon or two of pesto.
  • With dry hands, plug in the handheld mixer and carefully whizz the soup until it is silky smooth. Add salt to taste and a good grind of pepper and ladle into bowls to serve.

Notes: What is bouillon and where do we keep it? Why do we tear the basil with our fingers?

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Kitchen news – 14th August 2014

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melhm

ourkitchengarden.net

Brrrrrrrrrrrr it’s frrrrrreezing! My hands are cold and stiff as I type, so I’m looking forward to cranking the ovens up in our classes later and getting into some dough-work to warm up!

We’ve been truly taking all advantage of our winter crops and preparing fine feasts this fortnight, learning different techniques and also new uses for some old veggie favourites: Roasted winter veggies with rosemary honey drizzle – Japanese turnips and cauliflower florets roasting in the oven with a little olive oil and salt, with their buddies Brussels sprout leaves adding an almost crispy-kale-like element of savouriness. A surprise hit indeed! And who would have thought roasted cauliflower was so delicious? It’s much, much better than the soggy, white-sauced version of my childhood… We’ve added crispy and creamy elements to a thick pureed Carrot soup with lemon tahini and crisped chickpeas, with also a little flake or two of chilli to get the blood racing.

We are harvesting some lovely juicy and aromatic lemons at the moment, from our tree in the kindergarten playground, so have been juicing and zesting galore! And at the same time have been working up a sweat rolling, rolling and rolling pasta for Sean’s linguine with lemon, parmesan and rocket (and another touch of chilli!).

Another favourite, and definitely a dish to hone cooking craft is the Silverbeet, turnip top and ricotta tart, preparing our own shortcrust lemon-zested pastry and learning the art of blind baking. Fabulous!

And last but not least, several of the classes have had enough volunteers helpers present to have a fifth group (known as the Broad Beans…) make the Blood orange and cardamom upside-down cake. Blood oranges! My favourite fruit of all time, and wonderful in a cake with wholemeal flour (and a little bit of butter and sugar, natch).

A perfect winter meal! Thanks to all the wonderful adult and kid helpers who make it happen (and especially those that help clean it all up afterwards!). And also for the clean jars that have flooded in since my request in the Class Newsletter earlier this week. Thanks and keep them coming!

Mx

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Carrot soup with lemon tahini and crisped chickpeas

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melhm

Carrot soup seems to go down a treat with our kids, and this one is super-special with a wonderful lemony dollop and also some crunch from roasted chickpeas.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: carrots, onion, garlic, parsley, lemon
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Deb Perelman on smittenkitchen.com
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Peelers
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Large stockpot
  • Measures: tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ teaspoon
  • Baking tray and paper
  • Colander
  • Mixing bowls – selection
  • Citrus juicer
  • Salad spinner
  • Stick blender
  • Ladle
  • Serving bowls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

  • 1.5 litres boiling water with 2 tablespoons of bouillon (or 1.5 litres vegetable stock)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1kg carrots
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • A teaspoon ground coriander
  • A teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • A small handful flat leaf parsley

Crisped chickpeas

  • 400g tin of chickpeas
  • 1 generous tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Lemon-tahini dollop

  • 3 tablespoons tahini paste
  • A lemon
  • Pinch or two of salt
  • 2 tablespoons water

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle with cold water to the 1.5 litre mark and set it to boil. Preheat the oven to 220C.
  • Wash and peel carrots and dice into small cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion. Smash and peel the garlic cloves.
  • Heat two tablespoons olive oil in the large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté gently for 5 minutes, then add the carrots, garlic, coriander, cumin and chilli flakes and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Once vegetables have begun to brown, add the hot water and bouillon (or stock), using it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

To make the chickpeas:

  • Meanwhile, line the tray with baking paper. Drain the chickpeas and then pat dry on paper towels and pop into a large bowl. Toss chickpeas with the olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on the tray and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly.

To make the lemon tahini:

  • Meanwhile cut the lemon in half and juice to yield 2 tablespoons. In a small dish, whisk together the juice, tahini, salt and water until smooth with a yogurt-like consistency. If more liquid is needed to thin it, you can add more lemon juice or water, a spoonful at a time, until you get your desired consistency.

To finish:

  • Wash and spin-dry the parsley. Pick the leaves from the stalks and chop.
  • Puree soup with the stick blender until smooth. Taste to check seasoning, then ladle into bowls. Dollop each with lemon-tahini, sprinkle with crisped chickpeas and garnish with chopped parsley. 

Notes: Carrot and cumin goes well together. What other classic combinations can you think of?

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