Marinated Olives & Feta

Olives and feta marinated with rosemary, lemon and garlic are great served on crisp flatbread-style crackers or warm slices of crusty baguette.

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced pitted olives, such as Kalamata or mixed Greek
1/2 cup diced feta cheese, preferably reduced-fat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation: Combine olives, feta, oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper and black pepper in a medium bowl.

Simple Chickpea Soup

A simple soup recipe from Michael Pollan.

Total cook time about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Serves about 6.

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 tbs olive oil, more for serving
1 clove garlic, slivered
2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
Salt and pepper
Parmesan, optional

Directions:

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until onion is translucent and has lost its bite. Add garlic and cook until slightly colored.
2. Rinse chickpeas in cold water, then add to pot. Add water to pot until chickpeas are covered to the depth of 1 inch. 
3. Cook over medium heat (soup should bubble, but not come to a full boil) for an hour, or until the chickpeas are soft and silky. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with grated Parmesan or a drizzle of good olive oil if desired.

Kale with Onions and Pine Nuts Recipe

Michael Pollan recipe from his website.

Yield: 6 servings.
Total preparation time 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
⅓ cup pine nuts
1 ½ Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions (about ¾ pound total), cut into thin wedges
2 bunches Tuscan kale (about 1 ½ pounds total), stems removed, leaves chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¾ tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes; set aside. 
2. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Add kale, lemon juice and ¼ cup water and toss gently. Cover and cook until just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat, add reserved pine nuts, red pepper flakes, and salt. Toss well and serve.