Break away from the traditional chilled creamy potato salad (which certainly has it’s place), and try this tangy warm salad with lightly crisped chickpeas. It takes one pan to cook everything, and a large portion with a salad can be a hearty vegetarian main dish. You can also serve this on the side of just about anything. I’d probably go with grilled sausage or a roasted local chicken.
This year’s potato harvest has been truly excellent, and this recipe works well with red or yellow-skinned varieties. My secret for roasted potatoes that brown every time is a tablespoon of butter, dry potatoes, and a cast iron skillet. Cut the potatoes into uniform shapes and shake the pan often. For larger potatoes slice in half, then quarter each half into wedges. If you have small potatoes just chop them in half.
Adding the chickpeas in during the last 15 minutes of cooking crisps them up a bit, and adds depth of flavor. For the vinaigrette, we’re using Champagne Vinegar from Greenstar Co-op in Ithaca, and it’s even on sale this month. It’s a light, bright tasting vinegar perfect for salads. You might have a bit of the vinaigrette leftover, just drizzle it over a salad or raw vegetables later.
Skillet Roasted Potato Chickpea Salad
2 lbs potatoes, chopped into wedges
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 6 small chunks (optional)
salt and pepper
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons capers
Preheat oven to 425°F
Toss potatoes into a 12 inch cast iron skillet (or whatever size you have, but preferably this size or bigger). Add the olive oil, a big pinch of kosher salt and healthy dose of fresh ground black pepper. Cut a tablespoon of butter into 6 small pieces and scatter it throughout the potatoes.
Bake potatoes for 35 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 or 15 minutes. When the potatoes are just about done, but could brown a bit more toss in the chickpeas. Cook for 10 -15 minutes more until potatoes and chickpeas are golden.
Transfer the potatoes and chickpeas to a large, shallow bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, and toss with the warm potatoes and chickpeas. Add capers, and serve warm.
