Spinach and chick pea stew

Don't be fooled by the rather un-creative title for this dish, but rather be ready for the surprisingly creative taste journey that this autumny bowl of comfort delivers! 

    SPINACH AND CHICKPEA STEW

So, what to do with the unstoppable crop of spinach down on the veg patch at this time of year???

I know! Let It play in the pan with some chickpeas and a good sprinkling of cumin seeds and see how much fun can emerge!

The Recipe. Inspired by spinach.

A couple of onions, chopped.

A couple of cloves of garlic, crushed.

A handful of cherry tomatoes

A couple of salad tomatoes, roughly chopped

A box of passata.

About 1tsp cumin seeds. More if you love cumin. Which. I do.

2 teaspoons of curry powder.

1tsp garamasalata.

A can of chickpeas.

A colander-full of fresh spinach. Or a bag from the supermarket. Whichever you have.

1/2tsp salt

A generous amount of coarse ground black pepper. (This makes all the difference. Brings out the best in spinach!)

A  drop of leftover red wine goes down well. (In the FOOD.)

In a large pan, gently fry the onions, then add the garlic and all the spices.

Fry for a couple of minutes then tip all things tomato and stir it up.

Let it bubble away for 5 minutes then add the chickpeas.

Add the wine. 

Season well.

It should smell amazing by now.

Get up close and breathe in the warmth and fragrance of those spices. 

SOOO GOOOOD.

    Ok. Enough sniffing.

    Wash, drain and shred a load of spinach.

  Rip out the tough stems.  (I give these to the hens. They go crazy for spinach.)

You'll be surprised at how much spinach you can wilt into this dish.  It shrinks like a moment in Alice in Wonderland.

Pile it up on the stew and mix it carefully through.

Test the seasoning. Add more black pepper, I reckon.

Let it continue to simmer for about 6 or 7 minutes.

Done..

This is actually pretty fast food.

Serve it as it is, or with some rice, or with a salad, or with some potatoes that you've roasted with some curry spices, and make sure you add a whole helping of love.

It is sure to bring a tumble of early autumn joy to your tastebuds and tummy alike.

I served it up recently with all of the above. Went down really well with the bunch of lovely guests that were here.

Spinach and chickpeas. Winner.