Plains on the inside

Have the colors of a landscape ever inspired your dinner?

I mean, have you ever looked at a particularly lovely place and thought, "I need to create something like this to eat. Something red and purple and orange...." Maybe you haven't and you think I'm delirious for thinking the Flint Hills in north-eastern Kansas have anything to do with food.

Perhaps I am insane. Or I just got hungry and wistful as I looked through some photos of my trip to Kansas this fall. I flew from Portland to Kansas City in late September for a wedding, and on my way to see family in Wichita after that, I took a leisurely drive through the Flint Hills. By leisurely, I meant I pulled over onto a service road near Alma, Ks, and took a walk, and I even read every historical marker along the three-hour drive. Leisurely.

If I hadn't slowed down, I would have missed these guys.

They were just lounging in a field near the entrance to Grandma Hoerner's gift shop. I don't know if they were more intrigued by my appearance on a Sunday (Shop's closed!) or the fact that the grass I fed them by hand tasted so! much! better! than the grass on their side of the fence. There's just something about tooling through these rolling hills that makes you want to pull over and look. The fields are so elegant, so unfussy, and the sky so blue and expansive.

I find everything about the Flint Hills soothing. Even in pictures. Perhaps that's why I linked the following unfussy chickpea dish with the hills. Just a pat of butter (or swish or olive oil) in a skillet, some peppers and cabbage, seasonings, and chickpeas heated until they're warm and crispy. Soothing fall colors, in winter. Breathe them in.

fair simple fare

Pan-fried chickpeas & cabbage with potatoes
serves 2

• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 Tb. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped green cabbage
• 1/3 cup chopped red cabbage
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
  
• 2/3 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
• cracked black pepper

Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a skillet while you chop the potatoes. Pour the potatoes in the skillet and stir until they're coated in butter. Leave them to cook, covered, while you prepare the other veggies.

Mix in the cabbages, peppers, salt, pepper, garlic, and a 1/4 cup of water. Recover the skillet. Cook everything for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender. Swish in the chili and soy sauces, uncover the skillet, and increase the stove heat to medium. Toss the chickpeas in, and serve when the chickpeas are thoroughly warm and the edges of the potatoes are crispy.

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:

New potatoes with onions and chard
Polenta fries
Butternut squash soup