I went on a picnic yesterday with Rachel and it was simply wonderful. We picnicked at LynnVale Farm in Gainesville, and I fell in love with the farm…the fields of flowers, grazing cows, barn filled with treasures, modern farm house, owner Andrea (who was fun and so very hospitable), etc. More about our picnic and flower farm visit in May, though!

Today, I’m sharing the chickpea feta salad that I brought on our picnic (spotted on Pinterest, original recipe from Simple Provisions). This salad is perfect for a picnic because it doesn’t really need to be refrigerated (at least not for a few hours), and the longer it sits, the better it tastes. Mmmm. What I love most are the cooked onions/garlic/red chili flakes in this cool salad; they really add texture and flavor. So tasty on its own by the spoonful, on bread, or as a side at a barbeque.

Ingredients
– 1 medium onion, chopped
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– pinch red chili flakes
– 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
– 2 14 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
– 4 scallions, chopped
– 1 tbsp. dried parsley (original recipe called for fresh, but I didn’t have any)
– juice of one lemon
– 6 oz. feta, crumbled
– salt and pepper

Directions
1 // Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and cook onion until soft. Add garlic and chili flakes. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.

2 // Place chickpeas in bowl. Add chopped scallions, parsley, lemon juice, feta, and salt and pepper. Add cooled onion and garlic mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil; toss and serve!

Hope this scrumptious and easy recipe inspires you to enjoy the lovely weather this weekend and maybe even venture out on a picnic. See you Monday!