Chickpea Stew

Soak the chickpeas in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain. In a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim off foam with a spoon. Simmer the chickpeas over low heat, covered, for 40-45 minutes. When soft, remove from heat and set aside.

Peel and halve the onion, then slice into thin wedges. Rinse and peel the fennel. Quarter the fennel lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin strips. Peel and finely dice the carrot. Slice the tomatoes crosswise and cook in boiling water, rinse with cold water, peel and cut into cubes. Dice the chile pepper.

Heat olive oil in a pot and saute the chile and onions . Add the prepared vegetables and lightly saute. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks and stir with the bay leaf into the vegetables. Stir in the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes.