Chickpea and Olive Salad: for those NOT about to MEAT...

Last week, I wrote about meat.  Big meaty meat.  This week, what I have for you is pretty much the opposite - it's an interesting, satisfying salad that feels like it just broke up with meat and is now going around saying "Whatever, meat!  I don't need you anyway!  I'm delicious all on my own!"

Also, it's fantastic for parties.

Let's deconstruct:

• Chickpeas: I love 'em.  Deceptively creamy, substantial, and nutty, with a slight crunch.
• Olives: Green ones!  They always make me think of a Spanish chicken dish my mom would make, and they bring their bite-sized tanginess in full force here.
• Parsley: Brightening the flavours up a little bit and adding some green to the visuals; I mean yes, the olives are green, but they're, well, olive-green, and that doesn't stand out as much against the beige of the chickpeas.
• Parmesan: adding some saltiness to the mix, plus... mmm, cheese.  If you want this to be vegan, though, I don't think it would suffer terribly if you omitted it.  I don't trust vegan faux-cheese, but if you've got a good parmesan-substitute variety, go for it.

So: having a party?  Or just want to mow down on some chickpeas and olives?  Here's the recipe!  Oh, and speaking of parties, I'm sorry I missed the First Ever MassBytes Event - I really like the Out of the Blue Gallery, and I'm sure the food, of course, was delicious.