Last Night's Dinner: Spinach Salad with Chickpeas and Chorizo

The rows of spinach at Quail Hill have almost been taken over by weeds, but I still spent some time picking enough leaves to make one last main course salad in June. I had some chorizo, a can of chickpeas, and some sliced almonds in the house, so I took it in a Spanish direction. The warm chickpeas and chorizo stirred directly into the salad bowl wilted the greens just slightly, tenderizing and dressing them at the same time. Here's the recipe:

Spinach Salad with Chorizo and Chickpeas
Serves 4

10 ounces young spinach
4 ounces chorizo, thinly sliced
One 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds

1. Place the spinach in a large salad bowl.
2. Cook the chorizo in large skillet over medium-high until it begins to crisp and its fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste, and sherry vinegar and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Scrape the chorizo and chickpeas into salad bowl. Sprinkle with almonds. Toss to coat and serve immediately.