Chickpeas & Tomatoes

Tomatoes are my
absolute favourite
food, and they go
great with chickpeas
(garbanzo beans). So
without further ado,
my tomato salad
recipe:

Heirloom Tomato Salad

3-5 heirloom tomatoes
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup peas, fresh is preferred, frozen okay
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. snipped chives

Cut tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
Add grapes.
Add shelled peas. (If using frozen peas, rinse with warm water to thaw.)
Add lemon juice & chives. Toss gently & serve.

Tuesday:

Every lunch of Ryan's this week contained chickpeas. They are a healthy, tasty protein source plus many vitamins & minerals. I use chickpeas in lots of meals: bean salads, chili, chickpea curry, and many permutations of hummus.

Ryan's lunch: hummus & cucumber sandwich squares; carrot sticks; blanched spinach; yellow watermelon; onigiri "dice".

Meanwhile at home,
AJ & Nate had: udon
noodles; baked flax
tempeh; steamed
broccoli; yellow
watermelon.















At the farm in the afternoon, the boys had a great time playing in the Children's Garden while we picked up our share. The bean teepee is really high this year!

CSA farm share: 4 lbs heirloom tomatoes, 1 1/2 quarts cherry & Juliet tomatoes, 1 bunch fennel, 3 leeks, 1/2 peck apples, small bag of plums, 1 head lettuce, 1/3 lb arugula, bell peppers, pattypan squash, eggplant, 1/2 pint golden raspberries, 1 melon, 2 lbs potatoes. Not shown: 2 dozen stems of kale/collards/chard, herbs, flowers.

Wednesday:

Ryan's lunch: red gel cup; onigiri "web"; pasta salad; purple grapes; green beans w/soy cheese cubes and a tomato "Spiderman".

Husband's lunch: apple; cucumber slices; lettuce; chickpea croquette; bell pepper slices; cherry tomatoes; pasta salad.

Thursday:

Ryan's lunch: a cherry (pre-pitted); golden raspberries; green grapes; chickpea croquette; cucumber flowers; english muffin with "Pikachu" tofu omelette.

Husband's lunch:
hummus, lettuce &
tomato sandwich;
cherry tomatoes;
grapes; pasta
salad.






Friday:

Today is National Cheese Pizza Day (yes, I keep track of all those obscure holidays for bento theming purposes--check out various holiday websites like this one). I make an exception for hydrogenated oils on rare occasions, like birthday pizza parties, and day's like today, by keeping a Tofutti Pizza Pizzaz in the freezer; it is the best imitation cheese pizza that exists in my opinion.

Ryan's lunch: broccoli; cauliflower; baby corn; roasted chick peas; an orange slice; a Lake Champlain dark chocolate with almonds; Tofutti Pizza Pizzaz.

Ryan requested that I
include a napkin to
wipe his hands "in
case they get chocolate
on them". So I put an
oshibori (wet towel) in
his lunchbox today.