Roasted Chickpea Salad

Fresh and simple ingredients, make this roasted chickpea salad, a dance of flavors that celebrates California’s in season produce. No boring salads around here! As the weather warms up I crave fresh meals, and thankfully there are endless veggie combinations, that make for a delicious salad year round. This Roasted Chickpea and fresh veggie salad, is so flavorful and refreshing! For those days that you want something delicious without too much hassle. The chickpeas are roasted in EVOO, spices and they are nestled in a bed of fresh spring greens. With the addition of cucumbers, snap peas, grilled corn and zesty lemon pickled onions for a delicious flavor combination. Queso cotija adds in salty and cheesy goodness that blends so well with the bright cilantro dressing, that has a hint of jalapeno and fresh herb! This is one of those salads you just can’t stop eating, I assure you, you will need seconds.

Agri-tour to San Luis Obispo

Back in April, I had the immense pleasure of joining the CA GROWN team for an Agri-tour in the San Luis Obispo area. Agri-tours or as I like to call them the best field trips ever, include so much fun, locally grown food, wine and learning about different farm operations in the area. I am always over the moon to be able to join the amazing CA GROWN team on these tours. They have first hand knowledge in California agriculture, food blogging, recipe development and even fellow gardeners. It is such an enriching experience to explore areas that the team so carefully curates and I always leave with extended gratitude for this bountiful state I live in. This Roasted Chickpea salad was inspired by this trip down to SLO, where the bounty of fresh produce, wine and olive oil is highlighted all around the area.

This Agri-tour was centered in the San Luis Obispo area, located in the California Central Coast. SLO is home to the unique and iconic Madonna Inn where we had the joy of staying. This property has 110 rooms all uniquely furnished and decorated to various themes. My room was “The poppy” which included vintage furniture, terracotta tile and the most adorable California poppy wallpaper, overlooking green and lush hills. It was perfect!

The first stop in our tour, was tucked amongst majestic hills. Paso Olivo sits on 140-acres of rolling hills with around 7,000 Olive trees ranging from 5-35 years old. Paso Olivo grows 12 different varieties that are hand harvested and get turned into award winning olive oil that is bottled right at their property. It’s a rigorous process, that undergoes lab testing and blind tasting to ensure only the best is bottled. Olives need to be processed within 24 hours after harvesting to avoid fermentation which causes defects in the oil and can no longer be certified as certified Extra Virgen Olive Oil. This was my first time experiencing Olive Oil tasting! It was a fun experience led by General manager and Level 2 Olive Oil Sommelier, Marisa Gaytan. If you’re wondering what the flavor profile is, it depends on the olive but you get fruity and even spicy notes! For a product that I use on the daily I really had no idea what it takes to process good quality Extra Virgen Olive Oil.

In this Roasted Chickpea salad we are using CA GROWN Extra Virgen Olive Oil to coat the chickpeas, this ensures the spices grip on, and gives them a subtle richness. They are only in the oven long enough to let them marinate and soak up all the goodness. This makes for a tender chickpea with slight crisp outside and soft inside.

Next, we made our way to downtown San Luis Obispo to visit Hope On Park. Where the team was greeted with a beautiful feast and array of Rose wines. This new location by Hope Family Wines is centered in downtown SLO. Hope Family, have been farming in the California Central Coast for over 30 years. Did you know 93% of farms in California are family owned? This new location has walk up bar that you can stop by, as you stroll through the city. The walk up bar leads up to a their new Creative space, that is just what the name implies. A place to bring people together while curating and customizing their wine tasting experience to their specific requests. If you can dream it up they work with you to make it happen. The passion that they put into their wines and experience is really next level hospitality.

You guys know how much I love being creative and arranging my harvest baskets, and we got to do something better! We were surprised with a hand’s on class, on edible vegetable centerpieces, by one of our fellow creators Becky from Baking the goods. PLUS the talent of this crew does not stop there, Irvin from Eat the Love aside from recipe development, is insanely talented when it comes to creating ceramic pieces. He hand crafted, and in partnership with CA GROWN gifted us a ceramic stand to show case our creations. (that I keep in a safe spot, loved it!) It was such a great time sipping on wine and letting our hands create. I went with an orange and green theme. How do you guys like my creation?

I drew inspiration for this Roasted Chickpea salad from various stops throughout this tour. The incredible spread that was served at Hope on Park, included a veggie chickpea curry that was SO good! It was flavorful, hearty I had no idea chickpeas could be that delicious. I knew I had to create a recipe that I could incorporate more of this delicious legume in my meals. Our next stop confirmed what this recipe would be.

In the heart of San Luis Obispo we made a stop at City Farm SLO where the bees were buzzing among borage, poppies and calendula. The farm was boasting with fresh veggies that included salad greens, tomatoes, brassicas, kales, onion, garlic and the list goes on. As well as many fruit trees that were getting ready to bloom. California grows more than a third of the country’s vegetables!

City Farm SLO, is situated in 19 acres of the Calle Joaquin Agricultural Reserve. Part of the land is sub leased to small scale farmers at an affordable rate to steward the land. They are doing more than growing food for the community. City Farm SLO, aims to farm regeneratively, while showcasing agriculture to the younger generation. Giving them opportunity, to learn first hand how to care for the land and grow food. They have various kids, youth and volunteer programs that make it accessible for the community to get their hands in the soil. They are very focused on soil health (because that makes a thriving garden) by composting various different ways and really focus on organic practices that close the gap from agriculture and nature. It is extremely uplifting to see how much agriculture in California is changing and going back to the basics in the best sense.

We also spoke to Lynnette of Farmstead ED and SLO County Farm Trail. They connect consumers directly to the farm source, depending what they are shopping for. They have created a community for those seeking locally grown vegetables and make it easy to source quality items and farm goods.

All in all I’m beyond impressed and hopeful by what the community in SLO is doing when it comes to regenerative farming and building a community. Everyone can have a hand in how their food is grown. As their sign says “Garden for all” and I really think we something along those lines on a t-shirt because it fits the bigger picture. We all need a space to feel connected to the Earth.

Walking amongst rows and rows of veggies and fresh spring mixed being washed, dried and bagged. I knew I wanted to make a salad inspired by the bounty around me. My Roasted Chickpea Salad is a way to have a little piece of SLO now that I am back at home.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas- I used canned chickpeas for ease, but feel free to use home-cooked if you have the time. chickpeas are firm, yet creamy and provide nutty flavor.

Olive oil- I go with an Extra virgin blend that has mild and balanced flavor. Look for the CA GROWN label when shopping. California Extra virgin Olive oil is rigorously tested ensuring we get quality product in every bottle.

Queso cotija– Bold, salty and cheesy goodness, this Mexican cheese is packed with flavor while holding a firm texture. (this is one of my favorite cheese EVER)

Corn- Roasted corn adds sweetness, flavor and texture to our salad.

Snap peas– A garden favorite! Snap peas are sweet, crunchy and are delicious this time of year.

Spring Mix- Use your favorite spring mix, I like a mild blend with different lettuce varieties because it’s not overpowering.

Cucumber– Adds in crunch and their signature fresh flavor.

Parsley- Dried parsley coats our chickpeas adding in slight herbaceous flavor.

Paprika-Mild sweet pepper flavor with a bit of earthy notes.

Salt- Salt enhances all the ingredients!

Onion-Red onion is pickled in some lemon juice, removing the spiciness and adding zesty flavor. The longer they sit in the lemon the darker pink they will become.

Pepper- Sharp and slightly spicy flavor to add depth to our roasted chickpeas.

Lemons-We will be pickling the onions in lemon juice. They become zesty and bright!

Tangy Cilantro Dressing-

AKA as the most creamy and delicious dressing! Bright, zesty and the perfect consistency. There is so much flavor in this that it almost deserves its own post. I already know I will be whipping a batch of this to have on hand on the weekly. This ties our salad all together.

Lemons- Add in bright and zesty flavor to this dressing.

Jalapeno– A little kick of heat without being overpowering.

Cottage cheese- Makes our dressing the perfect consistency, while adding extra protein which is a bonus.

Crema Mexicana– Is full of flavor be sure to look for cream Mexican there are various

Cilantro– fresh cilantro adds fresh herb flavor to our dressing.

Salt-levels up all the flavor.

Garlic– adds in a sharp depth of flavor.

Lets get started:

Start by draining the chickpeas and placing them into a bowl.

Mix in olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic, pepper and parsley. Place onto a lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the corn there are a few options, you can place the whole corn cob in the microwave for 3 minutes. Then place on the same sheet pan with the chickpeas for some char marks. OR you can cook it thoroughly in the oven placing it with the chickpeas (removing the chickpeas in 15 min). This will just take longer, but either way works.

While that is in the oven, let’s work on the dressing. In a blender add Mexican sour cream, cottage cheese, jalapeno, garlic, salt, cilantro, the juice of two lemons and blend. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Julienne the red onion and place into a small bowl with the juice of three lemons set aside. *this will make extra and enough to enjoy on other dishes. They keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Next, chop cucumber, green onions. Strip kernels from corn cob and place a side.

Finally it’s time to assemble:

In a large platter place a bed of spring greens. Add in snap peas, corn, green onion, cucumber and queso cotija. Followed by the flavorful chickpeas. Dress with the tangy cilantro dressing and enjoy!

While the ingredient list may seem long, putting this salad is straightforward. You will have extra pickled onions and dressing that you can use on other meals. Serve the salad on large platter or enjoy individually adding the dressing right before getting ready to eat.

I am telling you the flavors in this salad are just too good and will be having it on repeat around here. It is incredible what is created when fresh locally grown ingredients find their way to the same meal. I am so grateful for the bounty around me. I hope if anything you are inspired to get creative in the kitchen to savor all the in season produce that is available to us. I’d say we are rather spoiled living here in sunny California. Even if you’re not here, I hope you know California farmers are always improving and have so much heart behind growing the food that gets to have a part of your table.

This post was made in partnership with CA GROW, all expressed opinions are my own. I am thankful to share the bounty our state has to offer check out other delicious way to use your in season produce on their blog Californiagrown.org