Gonzo for Garbanzos

For a fresh twist, go from canned to green beans

Oh, the humble chickpea. This beige bean (aka the garbanzo) is at every salad bar in American and graces dishes from all over the world. But for many L.A. chefs, the garbanzo to grab is green, harvested straight from local fields.

During the summer, you'll find them sold on the stalk at the Flora Bella stand at the Santa Monica farmers' market. But thanks to Califresh, a central-California produce company, you can now find the beans year-round.

Since fresh garbanzos are what you get before they're dried, cooked or canned, simply steam or boil them in the pod for a few minutes, then pop them out like edamame.

At Riva, chef Jason Travi uses the beans for crisp falafel patties. Joe Miller highlights the vegetal flavor in a corn succotash he serves alongside curried salmon at Joe's, and he roasts and drizzles the beans with olive oil for a salty snack at Bar Pintxo.

At Venice Beach Wines, Jill Davie likes the "pealike flavor" the beans give to her garlicky hummus (click here for the recipe). Serve the dip as Davie does, with plenty of crostini.

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