I
can hardly stand it. I’m sitting in the midst of acres and acres of
post-harvested garbanzo fields, which means there are beans for the gleaning.
Did
you know that another word for “gleaning” is “scrounging?” I’d rather be a gleaner
than a scrounger. I don’t think it’s scrounging to glean in one’s own fields,
is it?
Yesterday
I picked up a gallon of mostly un-husked garbanzo beans. That’s hardly any
compared to what’s left out there. So, I decided to get up early this morning
and fill another container. I was awake at 5:00, but it was still dark. I
stayed in bed until 5:45 when there was a hint of daylight.
“Do
you think I’m being stupid to glean the garbanzos?” I asked Mike.
He
laughed. “I don’t know. I do a lot of stupid things myself,” he said. (Hmmmm.
Diplomatic answer that translates to “yes.”) We agreed that he was probably the
wrong person to ask. We’re both compulsive personalities along the lines of our
own interests.
So,
after breakfast I took another pail and picked up more beans. The tough part is
bending over and kneeling down. Soon I learned to pull a plant out of the
ground and quickly remove the beans.
Thinking
of the old days when threshing was done on the barn floor (at least, I think it
was done on the barn floor), I commented to Mike that there must be a better
way.
“Oh,
there is,” he replied -- “a seven-hundred-thousand-dollar machine.”
I’m
sure our farmer’s operation was efficient, but I swear there are enough
garbanzos left behind to feed a small community for the winter. Okay – that’s
vague and I don’t really know, but there are lots and it’s not practical to pick
them up. I suspect I’d do more for the industry by buying my garbanzo beans in
the grocery store.
Oh, I think you should continue! Do you like hummus? You could make yummy batches! And feel so virtuous! (Personally, I think gleaning is a good word, and Biblical to boot! Scrounging sound rather like dumpster diving, and you definitely weren't doing that!)
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, Chris -- scrounging is dumpster-diving and the like. Gleaning is much more respectable -- legitimate even.
ReplyDeleteHallie also mentioned hummus. I don't know much about it, but I'm all for being virtuous.
Free food! You didn't even have to do the labor of planting or tending. It's the best! A much better benefit than what wheat leaves behind.
ReplyDeleteHummus is good--it makes raw carrots almost delicious. :) Also very good with pita bread or those pita chips in the store.
I just googled hummus from dried beans and found this recipe. All the reviews are great. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hummus-for-real-recipe/reviews/index.html
ReplyDeleteI love hummus!
Thanks for the encouragement, Hallie and Chris. I'll check out the hummus link. Hope it doesn't have garlic in it.
ReplyDeleteOoops, I'm sending a new link because the one before is for the reviews. And...it does have garlic.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hummus-for-real-recipe/index.html
Thanks. That's okay -- I'll fix it up somehow. Tahini? Powdered sumac? I might have to fix it up a lot.
ReplyDeleteI picked up a good word for you today--foraging!! Doesn't that sound good? See, you're being intrepid, out foraging for food, doing your thing! Virtuous and adventurous!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, foraging is a good word. And -- it's so what we've been doing at the farm -- tramping around looking for ways to use what we find.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, Nick found a gooseberry bush on the other side of the north field, so now we'll have to watch and see if it bears.