This is probably the #1 vegetarian recipe that I cook that everyone loves, be they a vegetarian or an omnivore (okay, my old friend Jeff, who's a self declared meat-and-meat kind of guy, may not go for it, but Shay loves it and he's the biggest meat lover in our family). It's hard to know how many this will feed - but I think it will safely feed four normal eaters (I can't judge by my very, very hungry family of five (especially during cross-country season, there's no amount of food my three kids can't make short order of). If your crew eats more modestly (most people do), these patties are excellent as leftovers and can be served either hot or cold. They can be tucked into a roll or between two slices of bread for a very powerful lunch (delicious with Dinosaur Schmearing Sauce - yes, there really is such a thing!). This recipe was adapted from Nava Atlas's excellent cookbook: Vegetariana. It is not vegan, but I'm sure it can easily be adapted to a vegan diet by replacing the eggs with a vegan egg-substitute such as Ener-G Egg Replacer. However, I haven't made it that way yet. Once I do, I'll edit the recipe here.
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 cloves of garlic
4 cups cooked or canned chick peas
4 eggs
1 cups of flour (I use spelt, but whole wheat would be good too), sometimes I replace 1/2 cup with corn meal for a crunchier patty.
2 t ground cumin
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried basil
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground mustard
olive oil for frying
Place chunks of carrots and celery and garlic in food processor and process until they're in small bits (if you don't have a food processor, just mince them). Add chick peas and process until they're pretty well mashed (without a food processor, you can use a potato masher). Add eggs, flour and spices. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Form the mixture into patties (any size you like is fine). Fry the patties until they're golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. I keep them warm in the oven until they're all cooked or we're ready to eat.
