This enticing recipe comes from the book Falling Cloudberries, by Tessa Kiros, published in 2009.
Ms. Kiros was born in London to a Finnish mother and a Greek-Cypriot father. The family then moved to South Africa. At the age of 18, Tessa set off to travel and learn all she could about the world’s cultures and traditions, and new ways of living and eating. She and her own family now live in Tuscany.
From the book jacket: “Falling cloudberries, gravlax, and strawberry tops, my grandfather’s special fries, cinnamon and orange blossom water, ride pudding, spare ribs and stroganoff, rose petals and jasmine in the summer-night heat… these are some of the memories I carry with me from a life in many countries and a family who has loved many kitchens.”
From Amazon: “She takes us on a global journey of taste and experience with her eclectic compilation of 170 simple and delicious recipes that reflect her world travels, multicultural heritage, family traditions, and amazing cooking combinations.”
This cookbook isn’t organized in the traditional manner. Chapters are divided by countries, which include Cyprus, Finland, Italy, and South Africa.
It’s really a captivating read. I highly recommend this book!
Chickpea, Feta, and Cilantro Salad
1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
1 cup olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 or 2 red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 2/3 crumbled feta cheese (I used marinated sheep cheese)
4 scallions, green part only, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Rinse the soaked chickpeas, put them in a saucepan, cover generously with water, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat slightly and cook to 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until they are soft but not falling apart, adding salt toward the end of the cooking time. Leave them in their liquid if you will not be making the salad right away.
When cooled, drain and put the chickpeas in a large bowl, picking out as many of the loose skins as you can.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and fry the onion gently, until it is cooked through and lightly golden. Add the garlic and chile and cook for a few more seconds, until you can smell the garlic. Take care not to brown the garlic. Let cool completely otherwise the feta will melt.
Add the feta, scallion, cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice to the chickpeas and season with pepper and a pinch more salt, if needed.
Add the cooled garlic oil and the remaining olive oil and mix very well.
I served the salad with some cumin-grilled chicken. Delicious.
Ms. Kiros writes that if one needs to be more spontaneous, canned chickpeas will work for this recipe. I will definitely be using them next time; they are just too tedious to peel.
I’ll definitely be making this salad again.