Using the Early Herbs! – March 31, 2012

My husband, John, and I just returned from vacation to find that Louisville has already reached mid-Spring even though it is only the end of March.  Our grass (and weeds) are high and the beds are being taken over by vines.  We’ve been working to uncover the Spring flowers and shrubs and found that our herbs are already in full bloom.  We have oregano, chives, mint and lavender that come back each year.  I also plant purple basil, parsley and dill each year to add to recipes throughout the summer.  You can see that our chives are already flowering, so I decided to make a salad that would make good use of the chives and parsley already in full growth.  Here it is and, it is delicious!

Chickpea and Raisin Salad

1 cup raisins (golden are prettier)

¼ c. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

15.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained

1 c. fresh parsley (or cilantro) chopped

6 chives thinly cut \

1/3 c. olive oil

½ tsp. ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Combine raisins, vinegar and sugar in pan and bring to simmer, let cool.  In a large bowl, mix cooled raisins with other ingredients and serve.