Green eggs & chickpeas

"Sometimes you will never know the value of something, until it becomes a memory" Dr. Seuss

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss was the first book my parents read to me and the first book I read on my own and learned by heart. This all-time favorite children's book is about a picky eater who is afraid to try new things. Perhaps I loved this book so much because being an adventurous eater myself, I identified with Sam I Am's gourmet inclinations and culinary advocacy.

Growing up in my Jewish-Polish background, I loved all the traditional dishes from that kitchen. A favorite was Grivelach or schmaltz (aka Jewish confit); bits of fried crispy duck skin that have been preserved in duck fat. A cholesterol bomb, but OH MY, what a treat! Grandma always kept a jar in the fridge and every time I would visit them, my grandpa would cut a thick slice of crusty country bread. He held the loaf of bread close to his chest, and used a bread knife as long as my arm! (He pressed the flat side of that same knife against my swollen forehead bump -- acquired by tripping while playing catch with my sisters -- to help ease the pain).
Grandpa shmeared the rustic bread with about a heaping tablespoon of Grivelach (but who’s counting?) I miss my grandparents very much and that little kitchen full of wonderful foods, aromas, and childhood memories.

To many kids, something like Grivelach might look like jelly from Mars, but my grandparents turned it into an adventure and allowed me to discover that food that may not look like much to the eye can make your palette dance! I learned early on that food can be a world travel experience right at home, and carried that value into my own culinary pursuits.

These baked eggs are perfect for Spring. Using leafy greens and veggies of your choice creates a wonderful and flavorful meal option for vegetarians; A special guest are the chickpeas, or as we call them in Israel: hummus (not to be confused with the chickpea puree of the same name), a staple ingredient for Israeli and regional cooking. They are spiced with Hawaij, a variety of ground spice mixture with origins in Yemen.

Serve with thick slices of crusty country bread to soak up all that creamy sauce and those perfectly runny yolks.

Creamy baked green eggs and Hawaij spiced chickpeas

By Tal Shofman-Schejter

Serves 4

Baked eggs are a versatile dish. They're easy to make and great for entertaining. You can get creative and use whatever greens or veggies that are available at your local farmers market and don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. Everything can be made ahead of time, and right before serving, nestle the eggs in the greens and gently bake surrounded by boiling water to ensure even baking.

Cook’s notes:

This recipe can be easily adjusted to serve more than 4 people.
Room temperature eggs are important to ensure they will cook evenly. Leave eggs on the counter for half an hour before you plan to make it.
Hawaij is a Yemeni ground spice mix, available at Middle Eastern or specialty stores. For this recipe purchase the soup mix that consists of cumin, black pepper, turmeric and cardamom (not to be confused with the coffee mix that consists of aniseed, fennel seeds, ginger and cardamom).

Method
For the chickpeas:
1 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup frozen chickpeas, defrosted
1/8 teaspoon Hawaij (spice mix for soup *see cook’s notes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the veggies:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the ovenproof dishes
1/4 leek (white and pale-green parts only), thinly sliced into rings, rinsed well
4 asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
2 large handfuls each of baby green Swiss chard and spinach, finely chopped
2 green scallions/spring onions, finely sliced
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons labneh
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup Kashkaval cheese, finely grated
4 large eggs (preferably free-range) at room temperature (*see cook’s notes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To serve
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Crusty country bread

Method
Preheat oven to 350F/180C degrees. Lightly grease 4 individual ovenproof dishes with soft butter.

Chickpeas:
In a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, chickpeas, Hawaij, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet and the asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard, spinach and scallions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the greens have just wilted; 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the leeks, stir and set aside.

In a small bowl mix together cream, labneh, garlic and a season with salt to taste. Set aside.

Spread the leek-spinach-asparagus-scallion mixture equally on the bottom of individual ovenproof dishes, and set onto a roasting pan. Pour the cream mixture over the greens, sprinkle with the Kashkaval cheese.

Make small wells using a spoon. Crack the eggs, one at a time, and gently nestle them in the greens. Spoon the chickpeas on top and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Set roasting pan on the middle rack, carefully pour enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes, and bake in a preheated oven until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, for about 8-10 minutes, (Keep in mind eggs will continue to cook after removing them from the oven).

Take out of the oven, sprinkle eggs with chopped chives.

Serve immediately with crusty country bread or your choice of bread for dipping.

Enjoy! x