New Zealand Spinach and Chickpeas

From the garden

• 1½ lb New Zealand spinach shoot tips, woody stem ends trimmed · roughly ten packed cups of tips and leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 slice crusty bread, thick slice, crust trimmed · one slice thickens the stew; keep the rest of the loaf for the table
• ¼ cup olive oil · divided
• 1 tsp smoked paprika · hot pimenton if you want the dish to bite
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar · sherry vinegar is the traditional choice
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and blanch the New Zealand spinach for 2 minutes, then drain it in a colander and throw the water away. That blanch is the required preparation for this crop.
2. Press the drained greens firmly with the back of a spoon until they stop dripping, then chop them coarsely. Any water left in the leaves thins the stew instead of letting the picada thicken it.
3. Fry the bread in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until golden on both sides, 3 minutes, adding the garlic cloves for the last minute. Lift out bread and garlic, leaving the oil in the pan.
4. Pound the fried bread and garlic to a coarse paste in a mortar with the cumin, smoked paprika, and vinegar, loosening with a splash of the stock. This picada is what gives the dish its body.
5. Soften the onion in the remaining oil over medium heat, 5–6 minutes, then add the chickpeas, the picada, and the rest of the stock. Simmer 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
6. Fold in the chopped greens and simmer 5 minutes more so they take on the spice. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper, rest off the heat 5 minutes, and serve warm with parsley and bread.