a lunch salad (kind of... ish???)

it's got a whole can of chickpeas in it!

Hello! I’m not sick anymore! Isn’t that great??? I think it’s great.

Because I was sick for a week, this newsletter is 1. late and two not filled with anything very interesting because I was sick for a week! But it does have a recipe for something delicious, so I hope that makes up for the fact that my brain is still kind of mush.

Although I lack original thought at the moment, something fun that happened was that virgo supperclub was in Eater twice (twice!!!) last week, which is very cool. The first time was for a round-up of the best things editors ate, and the second was for a beautiful profile of the Bay Area supper club scene. It feels really special to see our (mine and Lara’s) baby (virgo supperclub) listed alongside some other cute food endeavors. Ok, fine, I’m crying a little!!

I wish I had anything else interesting to say, but again, not one single neuron is firing in my brain. I promise I’ll have something interesting to say soon. At least the sun is finally setting after 7 pm—that’s something we can all be grateful for!

a lunch salad (kind of… ish???): ingredients

I used to eat this salad, like, four times a week for lunch. I missed it. I’m glad I’m making it again. Not to beat a dead horse here (also, what is UP with that expression??), but this is lunch for one-ish (but really, no more than two). It’s got a whole can of chickpeas. I’m a hungry person!!! It’s a filling salad!

It’s inspired by several variations of Asian cucumber salads. I’ve had delicious Thai and Chinese versions. Some are spicy; some have onions. Sometimes the cucumbers are smashed and dressed in sesame oil; other times, they’re sliced. Usually, there is vinegar! This is an amalgamation of lots of things I’ve eaten, so hopefully, you like it as much as I do!

1 medium-sized english cucumber, smashed: English cucumbers can be very large, so this really depends on how much you think you can eat! Sometimes I use three small Persian cucumbers. I’ve also used regular cucumbers here too, but the skin is thicker, and the seeds are bigger—it’s a less pleasant eating experience, but it’ll work in a pinch!

1 small shallot, thinly sliced: You could also use, like, a quarter of a red onion here.

2 tbsp sambal: I love sambal. I’m going to keep putting sambal in things. I think you should have it in your pantry at all times! If you don’t, you can substitute sriracha. (Also, while I HIGHLY encourage you to go to your local Asian market to shop, you might also be able to find sambal in your regular grocery store. As a LAST resort, and only because I think you should try it if you haven’t…. sometimes they have it on Amazon. BUT LOOK LOCAL FIRST!)

2 tbsp rice vinegar: If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use white vinegar. If you don’t have that, lemon juice!

1 tbsp sesame oil: If you don’t have sesame oil, you should get some! If you really don’t want to do that, you can add a little olive oil if you’d like, but this is more about flavor than the extra fat, so do with that what you will.

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed: Drain them! Rinse them!

2 tbsp neutral oil: This is for frizzling the chickpeas! You can use olive oil if you want.

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

TOTALLY OPTIONAL!

• Cilantro, stems and all! We don’t talk enough about how cilantro stems are 1. just as flavorful as the leaves and 2. how wonderful and crunchy they are. Flavor! Texture! If you’ve got some hanging around, this is a great way to use it.

• Toasted sesame seeds: If you’ve got them, why wouldn’t you throw some in???

• Fish sauce: I think it’s nice that this recipe is vegetarian, but if you’ve got fish sauce hanging around, it would be very nice!

• A jammy egg: I don’t think you need it, but why not! Every Monday morning, I boil a dozen eggs, so I always have jammy eggs on hand. They’re the perfect breakfast and also a great dinner. Eggs turn anything into a meal. That’s just math and science, babe!

a lunch salad (kind of… ish???): method

Start by heating a skillet with two tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. I use a 12-inch cast iron. I think the cast iron does a lot here in terms of helping the chickpeas get crispy. Also, a big skillet gives them plenty of room to move around and ensures they’ll be in one layer, which also helps to ensure crispiness here (closer=more concentrated moisture=less crispy/more time to get crispy).

Next, drain and rinse your chickpeas. I don’t dry them. Just make sure to shake off as much moisture as you can! Transfer them immediately to your hot pan. They should start sizzling right away. Season with a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper, and shake ‘em around. These will cook while you prepare the rest of the salad. Give them another shake every few minutes to make sure they get browned all over.

Next, slice your cucumber(s) into 2-inch rounds and then smash them using the broad side of the knife (or whatever smashing method works best for you!). By “smash,” I mean crush, and by crush, I mean do whatever your heart desires. If I’ve got some pent-up aggression, I’ll, like, really smash them. It kind of makes a mess, so be careful. If I’m feeling more demure, I’ll just place the broad side of the knife on top of the cucumber and push down firmly. Be careful! Rounds are famously round, which means they will roll. Don’t hurt yourself!

Aside from the aggression relief, smashing creates a lot of gorgeous little nooks and crannies for the dressing to get caught in, so don’t just slice them. The salad won’t be as good!

After they’re all smashed, transfer them to whatever big bowl you’re going to be eating out of. Slice your shallots (or onion) and sprinkle them on top.

Make sure you’re still shaking your chickpeas!

Next, dress your salad with sambal, sesame oil, and vinegar. Toss it well! Give it a taste. It probably needs a medium-sized pinch of salt (or two)!

By now, your chickpeas should be done. You’re looking for them to be browned and frizzled a little bit and crispy. If I were you, I’d dump just over half into the salad and toss them so they get dressed nicely in the dressing. I’d put the rest on top so that they stay a little crispy! The best of both worlds!

If you have it! Nows the time for your cilantro and sesame seeds. Maybe an egg! Who knows!? You do!

Have fun! Enjoy! Go eat it outside, facing the sun. Spring is here, and hope is alive!!

Ok, love you bye!
Garrett