You can plan things as meticulously as you like but the universe has its own sense of humor and sometimes the best thing you can do is roll over and laugh along with it.
The boys and I put together an Easter care package for my Mom — we filled it with a spread of edibles including canned tuna (which I continue to think is one of the most sensible gifts you can give anyone), thin crisp crackers, single serve almond butter pouches, granola bars, an assortment of herbal teas and, my personal favorite, individually wrapped travel size packets of sour pickles and olives (have you seen these?). I come from a long line of salt & vinegar genes (it’s a Québec thing) and I can still picture my Mom totting along olives in small plastic containers for her Mom during visits to Montreal. Come lunchtime, my Mom would assemble a humble little salad for her Mom and top it with green olives. It was as obvious a choice as tomato. Discovering the individually packaged olives, as banal as they may otherwise seem, had me giddy with excitement anticipating my mom’s enjoyment of them. So off our care package went – wrapped in spring paper with tulip stickers, hearts, kisses and our well wishes destined for Canada (in caps and in bold).
And no sooner did the parcel leave than I started tracking its journey – the way people like me do. I watched it work its way through the US postal system and then on to the transfer airport where I anticipated the next update from Canada customs (I know the sequence well by now) but instead, the day 5 update read something entirely different; it went just like this: Arrived: United Kingdom.
I had the same initial reaction that anyone would under the circumstances I guess. It’s hard not to feel a pang of disappointment (and stuff) when these things happen. And I suppose I could have spent my morning (ish) on the phone getting passed along from well-meaning person to well-meaning person, none of whom would likely know more about the whereabouts and the whys of the package than I did. So instead, I decided to roll the whole thing up, wish it well and cast it out into the wind on a beautiful walk with my dog. And yes, I even found it mildly amusing in some perverse kind of way. And when I mentioned it to my husband later that evening, he reacted similarly and then added “well, look at it this way, if it does make it back across the pond it will double as a Mother’s day gift.” I knew there was a reason I married this man.
And speaking of Spring blessings, these delightful chickpea cakes have been a most welcome addition to our March rotation. A simple pull together featuring spring peas, feta, whole grains and chickpea accompanied by a lip-smacking sauce ~ these little cakes pack an impressive nutrition punch for their size and bake up crisp and delicious in the oven.
Easy to assemble, these patties hold together well out of the oven. You can enjoy them as a light meal or, as we did this past weekend, as an appetizer during cocktail hour. I served the cakes on a singular platter with the yogurt sauce in the center and little plates. We simply spooned the sauce over top and ate them as finger food. It worked beautifully for a small group before heading out for dinner.
The lemon-dill yogurt sauce is a huge part of this edible experience so you definitely don’t want to miss it. The sauce is very reminiscent of tzatziki in terms of its salty garlicky tang (that glorious sour element from the lemon) only it’s much quicker to assemble. I’ve taken to making double batches to create leftovers to enjoy drizzled over just about anything — it sure spruces up my lunch hour boiled eggs and coleslaw. And if dill is not your thing, I have other options set out in the Notes section of the recipe card.
I hope you enjoy discovering these light and flavorful bites. I think they would serve up beautifully for a spring brunch ~ a delicious option for your table. As always, be sure to read the Notes section in the recipe card below for substitutions and best results.
- For the Cakes:
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (thoroughly rinsed and drained if using canned)
- scant ½ cup yellow onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup cooked grains or rice of choice (see Notes) at room temperature
- ¾ cup crumpled feta cheese
- ½ cup spring peas
- 1 egg
- sea salt & coarse pepper to taste
- For the Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, I use 2%
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 2 cloves of garlic, or to taste, minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- sea salt & coarse pepper to taste
- I recommend making the yogurt sauce at least one hour ahead of time to allow the flavors to permeate. Simply combine all the ingredients for the yogurt sauce in a small bowl or container with lid. Season with salt to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place cooked chickpeas, onion and garlic in a small blender or food processor. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp olive oil and a good pinch of coarse black pepper and salt to taste.
- Pulse the ingredients together until they are broken down but not to the point of a smooth purée. The ingredients should still be well textured (somewhat lumpy) but broken down.
- Transfer ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add cooked grain of choice, feta and peas mixing with a spoon to combine. Add egg, pepper & salt and mix well to combine. The mixture should be moist and sticky (capable of forming into a patty).
- Using your hands, form the mixture into patties - roughly ⅓-inch thick x 2½-inches in diameter, to yield approximately 12 cakes.
- Carefully transfer the cakes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (ungreased).
- Bake the cakes for 18-20 minutes - they will be fragrant and have golden striations on the bottom side. Remove tray - wait two minutes - and carefully turn the patties over and cook for another 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown and beginning to crisp on the outside. The trick is to get them a nice golden color/crispy texture without burning them.
- Remove tray from the oven and allow the cakes to cool for 3-5 minutes before gently transferring to a plate.
- Serve cakes warm with a generous dollop of delicious lemon-dill yogurt sauce.
- These cakes are best enjoyed from the oven (their crispy texture will not endure well in storage).
The Cheese: the cheese imparts taste and texture to these cakes and also adds a binding/elasticity element. Goat cheese would be a good substitute for the feta here.
The Sauce: dill and lemon complement these spring inspired cakes but you can substitute as you please - rosemary, a touch of basil, mint or pineapple sage are other ideas depending on your particular preference.
Timing: I recommend assembling the sauce at least one hour ahead of time to allow the delicious flavors to gather. Keep in mind though that the garlic will also intensify over time - I like my garlic the way I like my cheese (the stinkier the better) but if you know this is not your thing, you can mix it in at the last moment or skip it altogether.
Serving: these cakes are definitely at their best served from the oven - the crispiness will not endure in storage. If you have leftovers, you can certainly store them and rewarm but the texture experience may be different.
Welcome Spring ~ ♥ ~
Oh my gosh, that is hilarious and unfortunate at the same time! You have such a great attitude…but it’s true- what can you do when these things happen!? I do hope that lovely package arrived eventually…
These cakes look so amazing. I love that they are baked, too. They look so perfect and golden and crisp on the outside….okay I’m hungry!!
How did I miss these? Chickpeas isn’t something I cooked much because we’re not that crazy about the texture. Your little crispy chick pea cakes would solve that problem wouldn’t they? And they are baked! YAY!!!!
How much of the lemon yogurt sauce made it to the table for the chickpea cakes? Did you have to hide all of the spoons in the house? What an awesome idea for a sauce! And I am SO jealous of that wheelbarrow full of lemons!!! Lucky you!!
Oh my.. that’s such a bummer when a well thought out package gets misplaced or mishandled.. all that love, effort and work only to be thwarted. So a good walk with the dogs and taking your husband’s wit to heart is the good stuff to sooth the perplexities of the world (I LOL when I read what he said!). I adore little cakes like these, Kelly. Filling, delicious and packed with spring vibrance with a tangy dill sauce to boot! Your lemon tree is producing well and the dill looks just beautiful. I can imagine your garden is a very happy place. xo
a little fresh air, sunshine and the love of your besties goes a long way, right? :) happy to report that my mom has since received her package. Hugs to you Traci, thank you for your kind note. We’ve got lemons coming out of our ears… now, if I could just get our limes going for margarita season! x
These are the prettiest chickpea cakes I’ve ever seen! I love what you’ve done with the ingredients and the method. Thank you for making vegetarian food look so good :) I can’t wait to try these.
I’m so pleased to hear that you’re drawn to these veggie cakes Mia – what lovely words to read; thank you kindly for stopping by to let me know.
Hope the parcel makes its way back to Canada and safely to your mother’s door. At least the items are non perishables, right? I’m eager to give this recipe a try (maybe I will even do a blog post about it!). Always been a fan of the humble yet versatile chick pea. Lastly, your food styling has reached a whole new level. I dare say this is your most gorgeous post to date. Inspiring!!
Suzanne, what a compliment – thank you. I had a specific idea in mind for the presentation (though that is often not the case) and I’m glad you liked the way the photo and the food came across. Nothing perishable and my mom is now the happy recipient of the gift box that arrived safe and sound :) thank you!
I hope your parcel will finally arrive to Canada one day… I wonder how such incidents happen (especially given the fact that Canada and UK cannot be mixed up in theory at least). I guess it’s similar to certain luggages at the airport travelling to the wrong country….
I have never seen individually wrapped olives, but it sounds so fantastic, I’ll make these on my own (the vacuum packing machine I bought several months ago is a real wonder machine!).
Your cakes/patties look delicious and even more so since they come from the oven! (The only reason I don’t make falafels regularly is the amount of oil they require…).
Are these the crops from your garden???? Lucky you! No wonder you add lemon to your yogurt all the time.
vacuum packing machine — brilliant! I love falafels too… there’s a Middle Eastern resto around the corner that serves them up with a creamy/garlicky homemade hummus and honestly it wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration to say that I could eat there every day :) yes, indeed, those lemons are from our yard – I took this photo shortly after my husband harvested them – they are our biggest yielding fruit by far. I’m still struggling (but hopeful) for the limes :) thank you for your tips on growing cilantro! ps: my mom received her package – thank you!
These look so good Kelly! I love that you can swap out the grains. So versatile. And that lemon dill yogurt sauce….perfect for these cakes but I can imagine whipping that up to serve with other veggies as well. Is that wheelbarrow of lemons from your tree? I hope you were finally able to track down the package! : )
Hi Anne, so nice to see you – thank you kindly for dropping by. That lemon dill yogurt sauce has become my cheat version of tzatziki – so quick to pull together and immensely yummy – it mimics the flavors beautifully.
Well that’s a shame, Kelly. I hope your mom’s package is routed back to her – I know I would be disappointed, especially since it was one of the fun packages with lots of thoughtful items that only mean something to the person they are intended for. But I do like your c’est la vie attitude – which is something that I’ve been working on lately. As for these lovely little chickpea cakes – I’d like a dozen please! I’m thinking they’d be great in a pita with the sauce and some crunchy veggies. Hope all’s well with you and you’re enjoying spring.
I like how you expressed that Geraldine – a package that only means something to the person it was intended for… exactly. Learning not to try and control everything is a practice but doing otherwise gives rise to a lot of unhappiness – at least that’s what I’m finally arriving at in my old age ;-). And, the great news update is that my Mom did indeed received her package and was delighted with it! (not sure it will count towards a Mother’s day gift though ;d)
I like your style Kelly. As you said so well, not everything is controllable no matter how much we may try and we can spend our precious time and a lot of aggravation trying to force it or we can accept it as part of life. Loved this (but I also hope your Mom gets her package eventually – sure sounds like a thoughtful one). Are those lemons from your yard? What a bounty … I hope we’ll be seeing more lemon deliciousness coming out of your kitchen :) I’m making these cakes this week! Thank you.
cheers Elizabeth – there’s a lemon square recipe that I should get up on the blog; it’s a family favorite and I’m pretty sure you would enjoy it too :) let me know how you like the cakes! have a beautiful day.
I like the way your husband thinks, haha! And I’d say you handled the situation with grace. Hopefully the package does make it’s way to her eventually!
These chickpea cakes look absolutely divine. I love the lemon dill combo so I know I would eat these up in a heartbeat! Also, can you share some of those lemons with me? ;)
me too Sarah – I always say he’s the most natural Buddhist I know ;-) learn from him every day.
I would love to be able to share these lemons with you… we have too many for ourselves (and our neighbors also have lemon trees so tricky to know how to best minimize waste…) my husband loves lemonade but there’s only so many batches we can make ;o)
What a crazy story about the parcel…did it actually go to the UK? I wonder why the breakdown occurred, was it because of the postal code (the UK also employ postal codes and not zip codes). But I am glad you are having a laugh over it, although I might be inclined to call someone to let them know this happened so it doesn’t happen again!
The chickpea cakes look fantastic, I also love that they are baked and not fried. I’ve made baked falafel once and it was very dry, your version looks moist and delicious.
I love your lavender, ours hasn’t begun to turn green yet, still in winter mode.
yeah, that’s just it. I don’t think it would ever be possible to know exactly where things broke down nor why (the package was carefully/correctly labelled) and the work transfer line is a long one, not just US/Canada mail service but also customs. Don’t think we can eliminate errors from happening in the postal service (nor any other service) but thankfully we do get to choose our reaction to these things. And for this particular one, drag though it may be, I’d choose sunshine, my dog and laughter again and again :). Cheers Eva! ps, I love falafel and these cakes do remind me of them; the cheese (and peas) maybe help keep them on the moister side.
I can’t wait to try these! Enjoyed your post.
Love,
Adele
thank you Adele! I hope you enjoy these savory cakes :)
These looks simply delish! Look fwd to trying it soon. Love the pics and your beautiful lemon harvest – Very exciting!
lemons for days 🍋 🍋 🍋 :)
Oh, I am so sorry! I feel your pain, I really do! You know, I have what I call a “legendary bad luck with the post office” – it works both ways, I send stuff and it never gets there, and thoughtful gifts and cards sent to me are probably somewhere in one of the many moons of Jupiter.
it is irritating, annoying, and I usually feel a dark cloud over my head when I enter a post office.
glad you are taking it all with such grace!
and, back to the recipe, absolutely wonderful! I should put it on my Inspired Folder ;-)
yes, it is all of those things and this grasping mind has to work at it every day to let it float on by… what is it Anne Lamott says? Grace eventually :)
Great idea I like the sound of it. Chickpeas are specific to prepare , but this way I will try for sure
wonderful! I hope you enjoy them and thank you for dropping by.