Happy New Year(!!), Veganuary Challenge, & Turmeric Chickpea & Radicchio Salad Recipe
#74: Winter Happenings @ Featherstone Garden
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Hello & Happy New Year to our readers & subscribers!
We hope everyone had the chance to rest and recharge a bit over the holiday break, and maybe make some new years resolutions if you’re into that sort of thing :). After what turned out to be an extraordinarily busy December (with all of our holiday product production and event pop-ups in addition to our normal daily operations), Annie and I had the opportunity to spend time with our families while brainstorming ideas for the upcoming 2023 season. We can’t wait to share some exciting news in the coming months, and in the meantime we’ve got plenty of healthy recipes on the docket to kick start a new year of health conscious eating habits.
After consuming tons of hearty meals and sweets over the break, the Featherstone team is embarking on the #veganuary challenge throughout the next month. Last night I spent nearly 4 hours working on a new veggie burger recipe and am pretty happy with the overall results, but need to make a few recipe tweaks and figure out how to streamline the process before sharing it with all of you, so stay tuned!
Today we’re keeping things short & sweet— just to say hello 👋🏼, Happy New Year, and share our first new yummy (vegan) recipe of the year: a warm turmeric chickpea & radicchio salad w/ a garlicy-mustard vinaigrette. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
A Bright Winter Citrus Salad
By Renee S.
Look at that color 👀. In an effort to eat healthier (& vegan as previously noted), I’m sharing a warm winter citrus salad to start off the new year. If you’re not familiar with radicchio, it’s a red leafy, white veined chicory with a peppery flavor profile, (to give a visual: before I was better acquainted with this vegetable, I thought radicchio was some sort of mini purple cabbage when I saw it at grocery stores.) The crisp leaves have a natural spice and can be quite bitter (something akin to arugula) and when eaten raw, it’s ideal to pair with an assertive dressing to temper the bitterness. If you’re wary of bitter salads, try using half radicchio/half mixed greens or a mild leafy green, like spinach.
For this recipe, the radicchio is tossed in a (vegan) garlicy mustard vinaigrette and topped with Moroccan-inspired spiced chickpeas to give the dish a nice balance of flavors. I’m also sharing a few serving suggestions under the recipe notes down below.
Warm Turmeric Chickpea & Radicchio Salad w/ Mustard Vinaigrette
A few recipe notes and garnish substitutions…
During the first round of recipe-testing, my chickpeas came out on the soggier side and I was a tad disappointed with the results. The flavor was good, but I wanted that crisp bite. So, after trial and error and a bit of research, I found that rinsing and drying your chickpeas will help achieve a crispier exterior. You can also remove the skins, but it’s not necessary if you’re pressed for time.
For the garnishes, I’m topping this salad with clementine wedges and scallions. If you don’t have clementines or oranges, my recommendation would be to substitute fresh grapefruit or dried fruits (i.e. dried cherries, cranberries, chopped dates, etc.). If scallions aren’t your thing, consider adding fresh mint, dill or fennel fronds - mostly any fresh herb will do.
Recipe: Turmeric Chickpea & Radicchio Salad
Yields: 2-3 servings
Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoon oil of choice (we’re using avocado oil)
1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and lightly dried off
1 head of radicchio, torn
2 tablespoons shaved almonds
1 tablespoons coconut aminos (or low sodium soy sauce or tamari)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Garnishes:
6 scallions, thinly sliced (or 1/2 cup leafy herbs)
2 clementines (or 1 small orange), chopped into small pieces (approx. 1/2”x1/2”)
Directions:
Step 1
In a medium bowl, season the drained, rinsed and dried off chickpeas with all your spices (turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes) and stir well to coat evenly.
Step 2
In a large skillet on med-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons oil, then add spiced chickpeas and sauté until they begin to pop and crisp up, about 6-8 minutes. (To achieve crispier results, avoid over-stirring!). Once chickpeas are lightly crispy and begin to darken in color, turn off the stove, add 2 tablespoons shaved almonds and 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or low sodium soy sauce) to the hot skillet. Stir until well combined.
Step 3
Tear radicchio into pieces. In a large bowl, toss radicchio with scallions and clementines or oranges (or alternative garnishes of choice), and a couple tablespoons of mustard vinaigrette, (recipe below).
To serve
Divvy out dressed radicchio, scallion and clementine mixture into individual bowls, top each bowl with a few large spoonfuls of warm crispy chickpeas and almonds.
Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juice & zest
1 tablespoon dijon or grainy mustard
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
In a jar, combine all ingredients and shake vigorously. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 7-10 days.
Thanks for reading!
For more about our garden, check out our website and follow us on instagram (@featherstone.garden). Feel free to email us or comment below with any questions or suggestions.
Have a great week,
Annie, Aaron, Renee + Chili & Bean (our farm cats ₍˄·͈༝·͈˄₎◞ ₍˄·͈༝·͈˄₎◞)
