Leek and chickpea stew

It's cold on Feb 8th. It's so cold that to have any cold food would be an act of will, and far from an act of desire. It's also so cold I don't feel like walking to the market in my neighborhood and I feel nostalgic for the day when there was a small fruit and vegetable stand next to my building.

It's also a lucky day for me, since my fridge contained everything I needed to make a quick and delicious vegetable stew. It didn't go without using a magic spice, as you will see later on.

To make this stew you need:

2 leek stalks, sliced
2 very large carrots, grated
1 can chickpeas (with the water inside)
1 cube vegetable bullion (use organic low sodium bullion)
5-6 white pepper corns
5 pieces of saffron
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter

Use the butter to cook the leeks over medium heat. Cook until slightly translucent, add the carrots and chickpeas, spices and water and cover for 20 minutes. You can enjoy the stew on its own, or serve with Greek yogurt, if you happen to be in a warm part of the world.