Joanie Loves Chi-Chi Beans

A by-product of a great girl's/high school rebel reunion weekend is good food. Last year we made beignets (see Beignet There, Done That), this year we decided to do an all app (appetizer, that is) dinner. Regular readers know that our bevy included freshly hunted and picked morels (see Mary Tyler Morels). Next up is a chickpea feta salad, courtesy of my friend Ann via her friend Donna. I met Donna once at a New Year's Eve Party, but because it was a very good party I don't really remember her. That said, her salad is divine. I do love chickpeas, aka chi-chi beans. aka garbanzo beans - whatever you want to call them. I will eat them in salads, I will eat them in soup. I will eat them mashed as hummus. I will eat them on a roof. Eat them, eat them, I will. Add some olive oil, feta cheese (which makes anything better), parsley and garlic and you have a recipe simple in ingredients, complex and satisfying to taste. This would make a perfect go-to salad for any pot luck (you should be so lucky) or summer BBQ. Try it, try it you will.

Joanie Loves Chachi, the most unfortunate spin off of Happy Days (post shark jump, literally and figuratively). In fact, TV Guide named it one of TVs 25 Biggest Blunders ( also on the list, Cousin Oliver, just sayin). Anyway, the premise for the 1982 disaster was Joanie and Chachi move from Milwaukee to Chicago to make it in the music business. Apparently, they didn't go far enough. As a punishment, ABC cancelled the show and made Erin Moran and Scott Baio (BTW, this Joanie really did love Fonzie's nephew) go back for the final season of Happy Days. Lucky for us, Scott Baio bounced back to go on to Charles in Charge. Poor Erin Moran wasn't so lucky, I'm not even sure she ever made it to Battle of the Network Stars. Play this clip and you'll never wonder why they were a flop...

The Recipe:

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tbs olive oil
• Pinch red chili flakes
• 2 400g (14oz) tins of chickpeas
• 4 spring onions (scallions), green part only, chopped
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• Juice of one lemon
• 150g (5 ounces) feta
• Salt and pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the red onion till lightly golden. Add garlic and chili and cook till the garlic is fragrant. Set aside to cool so it doesn’t melt the feta when you mix it in.

Drain the chickpeas, rinse and place in the salad bowl. Add crumbled feta, spring onion, parsley and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled onion and garlic mixture and remaining oil and mix well (like at a party where you don't know anyone). Serves 6 to 8 as a side.

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