Sick of Asparagus Already?

Not everyone is a slave to the season. My dad, for example, buys his vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers from Produce Junction. They source from all over the world and you can buy pretty much anything all year round, and for super cheap.  Living in the Garden State, he also grows plenty of his own produce. But before things pop up, it’s Produce Junction time.

We finished the asparagus I brought home for Mother’s Day dinner and for Monday’s dinner were left with Produce Junction goods and other items I found in my dad’s surprisingly well-stocked, but not seasonal pantry and fridge. So for those tired of hearing about farmers’ markets and asparagus, here you go.

Roasted Broccoli with Chickpea and Wheat Berry Salad

Crank the oven to 400. Slice the broccoli so it will lay flat, keeping the stems attached. Throw on a baking sheet, toss with oil, salt and pepper and arrange so that branches aren’t overlapping. Roasting could take 20-30 minutes, but check every ten and toss them around to ensure even browning.

Oh, and I’m assuming you have pre-cooked wheat berries (see here for a recipe). I’ve been making large batches at a time to throw into almost anything I make. No worries if you don’t have them. I’m sure any grain—or no grain—could work.

Drain a can of chickpeas, dry them in a towel (its skin may come off) and put them in a bowl. Preheat a pan (make sure it’s big enough where each bean lays flat) with oil and let it get super hot. Toss the chickpeas with oil, salt, pepper and a ton of cumin. Once the pan is really hot, add the chickpeas in one layer and just let them sit and brown. Resist the urge to shake the pan. After a few minutes stir the chickpeas to let other spots brown.

In another pan sautee one onion and a few cloves of garlic.

Create a quick “sauce” by stirring together Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced fresh parsley, salt, pepper and cumin. Add enough oil to slightly thin the yogurt.

When the chickpeas are browned in spots (and if you taste them right from the pan they might be kinda dry, but don’t worry) add in the wheat berries and onions and garlic and stir together. Add in the yogurt sauce right into the pan and stir to combine.

Pour the chickpea mixture on a plate and top with the broccoli. We added a few crumbles of queso fresco over the entire dish, but that’s probably not necessary.