Lemon Verbena Chick Pea Puree with Spring Vegetable Hash
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Dried Chic Peas Or 4 cups cooked
- 1 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Lemon verbena may substitute lemon balm or lemon Thyme
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Scallion
- For Hash:
- 1 Cup Cubed Sweet Potato
- 1 Cup Cubed Golden Potatoes
- 1 Bunch Asparagus
- 1 Cup Chopped Fresh Spring Onion
- 1 Cup Cubed Fresh parsnip
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Herbs (parsley, Dill, Thyme, Oregano)
- Water for cooking
- Olive Oil For Cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Balsamic reduction/syrup to drizzle
- High quality Olive oil, preferably flavored, like basil or chive for drizzling
- Micro Greens to garnish
Instructions
- Cover the beans in water in a large vessel. Allow them to soak for about 4 to 8 hours at room temperature. They should almost Triple in volume.
- Heat a little olive oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Drain and rinse the beans. Add to pot and toss until well coated with oil. Stir in the cumin. Add water to cover by double the volume of beans. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender (about 20 to 30 minutes). When tender, strain off liquid. But, reserve some of the liquid for pureeing.
- Put the beans into a food processor and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides occasionally. Add some cooking liquid as needed to help it get smooth. Add in the lemon juice and continue blending. Add in the lemon verbena. Then, with the machine still running, drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer mix to a pan to keep warm.
- Make the hash: Heat some olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add in the potatoes and cook until they begin to caramelize and soften. Stir as needed. Then add in the Onions and parsnips and stir. Cook until slightly colored. Add a little water and cook down until the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart. Then, stir in the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. The asparagus should cook in seconds. Fold in the herbs last minute and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Spread the puree evenly on the plate and artfully present the hash. Drizzle the plate with a splash of Balsamic and flavored oil. garnish with micro greens.
Notes
We cooked the beans with the onion and garlic here. You could use cooked beans (dare I say, from a can) to save time soaking and cooking the beans. But, you do want the cooked onion and garlic, plus the lemon and herbs.
If lemon verbena is not available, substitute a similar herb. If there is nothing with lemon, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the recipe and substitute fresh thyme and parsley.
Play with the vegetables for the hash. The potatoes and sweet potatoes make a nice base. Being spring, we like asparagus. try adding fiddleheads, cauliflower, zucchini or other vegetables as well.