Spring forward

Things are flying by at an unbelievable pace here in the Pacific Northwest. As I pulled myself out of bed this morning, I had to remind myself that I willingly traded that extra possible hour of sleep for the assurance that spring will soon be here. With spring will come the reopening of the farmers' market (in six days!), the slow transition away from root vegetables (oooh and it's about time), and the impossibly pink-and-red hues of rhododendrons and cherry blossoms in full bloom. I've seen glimmers in the past few days that spring really is on its way, being smacked unexpectedly with a gust of wind laced with the scent of flower buds, or emerging from the library only to see the sun beaming with gusto and my fellow students lounging in the grass. I am beginning to feel like I can make it through the final push out of winter and into spring, especially if time keeps moving as quickly as it has been.

Nonetheless, to welcome springtime with open arms seems a bit premature at this point, especially as I look at the torrential downpour going on outside (lest I forget that I still live in Portland). I'm still clinging to a late winter menu most of the time, trying to help myself get through my busy weeks with warm, soulful foods. Because I spend most of my weekdays on campus from the early morning until late at night, I try to use my weekends to make food that will last me throughout the week. Soups, in particular, are great for longevity, though I often feel reluctant to make them because sometimes they don't seem substantial enough to constitute a whole meal. This very conundrum reminds me of this episode of Seinfeld, in which Jerry and Elaine attempt to determine when soup does and doesn't count as a meal. They never reach a conclusion. I find myself neglecting to make soup because big plates of roasted, sautéed, or broiled foods heaped together seem better suited to usher me through a long week of class.

I decided to reconsider my bias when I ended up buying a few pounds of chickpeas in bulk a couple of weeks back. It was only after I got home from the food co-op that I realized I hadn't actually given any consideration to what I would do with the chickpeas. Then I remembered a dish my mom started making for me a few years ago--a hearty, Moroccan-style chickpea stew with tons of tomatoes and sweet raisins. Something clicked, and I knew soup was the right way to go. This one is thick with toasted chickpeas and plumped up raisins, which add a faint but persistent note of syrupy sweetness to the otherwise nutty flavors. After a week of happily devouring it, I can confidently say it has crossed the threshold into meal territory.

CHICKPEA TOMATO STEW WITH RAISINS

I'm not sure where my mom got the recipe for her original version of this, but I got a little help from this recipe.

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2-1 stick cinnamon

2 cups chickpeas (if you use canned, drain and rinse; see note below if using dried)

1/2 cups raisins (you can use golden raisins, currants, or a combination of all three if you prefer)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 14.5oz can organic tomato sauce

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

handful of parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Stir together paprika and next six ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Toss chickpeas in 1-2 tablespoons of oil (I always end up going heavy on the oil--whoops) and spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until slightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

3. Heat remaining oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in spice mixture and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until spices are toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stir, cooking 2 minutes more.

4. Add broth, potatoes, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (almost "al dente"), about 20 minutes. Uncover pot, stir in the raisins, and simmer until stew is thickened and the chickpeas are tender, about 25 minutes more. Serve with parsley and enjoy.