Insalata di Ceci e Quattro Formaggi

Insalata di Ceci e Quattro Formaggi
Insalata di ceci e quattro formaggi is a garbanzo bean salad with four different types of cheese. Wally and I used to have a lot of ceci beans because they were easy to prepare, nutritious and tasty. Ceci beans are eaten throughout Italy and the Mediterranean – the ancient Roman army ate them as one of their food staples – and look at the great feats they were able to accomplish! Gilda used to use ceci beans in a soup she would make on occasion. They are high in fiber and loaded with vitamins and minerals.
This insalata will take you about 10 minutes to make (excludes time required for hard boiling your eggs) and uses ingredients readily on hand in your frig and pantry. It can be used as a contorno, antipasto, or primo piatto.
Ingredients for 4:
1 can of organic cooked garbanzos
1 lemon, juice extracted
¼ lb Jarlsberg imported cheese from Norway, sliced thinly
¼ lb of Parmigiano Reggiano, in small chunks
¼ lb of ricotta salata, sliced in squares an eighth of an inch thick
¼ lb of sheep’s milk Spanish Manchego cheese, young, and sliced thinly
2 hardboiled free-range or organic eggs, each halved lengthwise
1 Roma tomato, cut up roughly

6-7 radishes, sliced into thin rounds
1 sprig of fresh oregano from the garden, chopped roughly, or use ¼ t dried
5 lemon basil leaves from the garden, chopped roughly, and some leaves for garnish (use any basil if you can’t get the lemon) or 1 t dried
A small handful of Italian fresh parsley from the garden, chopped up or 2 t dried
High quality Italian extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Preparation:
Drain and wash ceci beans. After all water drains, place them in bowl. Add the herbs, cheeses, tomato, radishes, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly with spoon.
Place hardboiled egg halves along perimeter of bowl, and garnish with a branch of basil.

Note: This salad goes well with crusty artesian breads and red wine. È molto saporita!