I made this falafel with English peas for lunch at Good Eggs and everyone was happy. It is inspired one third by Yotam Ottolenghi (his idea to coat the falafel with sesame seeds), one-third by Joan Nathan's recipe for her favorite falafel, and one-third by the pea pancakes served at Schmidt's, a German restaurant in my neighborhood. The falafel below is made with soaked (not cooked) chickpeas and fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley and mint, all buzzed up in food processor. Fresh English peas are folded into the mix for sweetness, Spring-iness, and a satisfying pop. Next time I think I'll try it with half garbanzos and half dried favas, which is the Egyptian way. Serve with homemade pita brushed with a good olive oil and sumac or za'atar, and some tahini mixed with lemon, salt and a little honey. YUM.
Spring onions are here!
Spring onions salted and ready to grill.
These particular spring onions were for a lunch at Good Eggs, served on top of sliced pork shoulder tacos with grilled pineapple and tomatillo salsa verde. Tomatillos are summer treat in California, so I should have waited to get local ones, but I had just returned from a surf trip in Mexico and was excited to cook what I ate there. You've probably seen cebollitas at taco stands, and these local early spring onions make luscious, meaty, sweet ones. Chop off the dark green ends (they get tough and stringy), toss with olive oil and salt and get a nice char on them, either by grilling or broiling. Slice them up and sprinkle on your tacos. Yum!