Last winter I reconnected with an old friend. In the 20 years since we graduated from high school she’s decided that Local, Seasonal and Organic are important words in her vocabulary.

Now living in Houston (a much milder climate than here in Denver), she enjoyed a winter share that looked a bit different than mine. In February while I was making ravioli with butternut squash and potato-leek soup, she was cooking kale. I was green with envy.

But now our local spinach is here, and I’m making the best of it.

One spectacular recipe is Spinach with Chickpeas and Bacon. In many recipes, the chickpeas are cold and soft, tossed in a yummy dressing, to be sure, but still cold. In this recipe, however, you fry bacon until crisp, saute the chickpeas, then add in spinach and garlic. The result is a dish as addictive as potato chips — and for the same reason. They both have that irresistable combination of richness, salt and crunch.

Click here for the recipe for Spinach and Chickpeas with Bacon, from Gourmet (February 2000).