Chickpeas
Cicer arietinum
T
he chickpea, aka the garbanzo bean, is a
remarkably nutritious pea that began its
life in Turkey and got to us via India in the
1600s. Th e word garbanzo means “little ram,”
which describes the somewhat crumpled head
shape of the bean.
I’m devoted to it because of its smooth tex
ture and mellow, rich taste. It is, of course, the
basis for hummus, the North African bean
paste, but it’s also used in stews and casseroles
from the same region. It provides good protein
and excellent fiber, which reduces the immedi
ate absorption of the carbohydrates.
Until last year, I had heard of only one color
other than the standard cream, and that was an
unappetizing black (Black Kabuli). Then I got
some fresh frozen immature beans in the post
from Clearwater Country Foods in Genesee,
Idaho, that were bright green and behaved per
fectly in a green hummus and wherever I’d
added lima beans in the past (see Brunswick
Stew, page 146). Fortunately, I got some plant
ing peas, but it was too late for my first year, so
I’ve set aside a special patch to see how they
grow in year two. The bed in which I’ve chosen
to plant the peas held bush beans in year one,
which should help with the chickpeas’ ability
to fix nitrogen in the soil.
Nitrogen fixation is a splendid example of
the awesome ability of nature to provide a met
aphor for great neighbors who look out for
each other’s needs. Let’s assume that you’ve
planted lettuce or cabbage (lots of green
leaves). These are called heavy feeders, especially
of nitrogen, which stimulates their leaf and
stem growth. These plants draw on the soil ni
trogen supply and can seriously deplete it. Now
we can add blood meal, guano, hoof and horn
meal, soybean meal, and cottonseed meal, as
well as compost—all natural nitrogen.
Along come the good neighbor plants:
beans, peas, and soybeans. As they grow, they
interact with soil-borne bacteria and take ni
trogen from the air (most other plants can’t do
this). This is called nitrogen fixation. Th e bean
plant stores this nitrogen in its roots in the
form of nodules and uses the nitrogen for its
initial growth. The root-stored growth bacte
ria, called Rhizobia, multiply and absorb nitro
gen in excess of the plants’ needs and then use
this surplus to enrich the soil.
Now you can see the reason to switch beds
and plant leafy greens where beans and peas
have boldly gone before.
The Numbers
Chickpeas are an excellent source of molybdenum,
which recent reports suggest is useful in the natural
detoxification of the body. Some folks have an
allergic reaction, so test with a small portion.
Per serving : 100 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat,
16 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 5 g dietary fi ber,
25 mg sodium
120 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE
