Thursday, September 11, 2008

Compulsive (greenmarket) shopping

Not the worst affliction possible, admittedly. I'm just so jazzed up about the bountiful harvest that abounds at all the NYC greenmarkets nowadays.

Oh, and I've recently returned from Paris where I saw this sculpture in a brasserie:
Gave the place a cool underwater effect.
Anyway, as my life attempts to get itself back to normal (and I fight it every inch of the way), I'm busy buying eggplant and peppers and squash and peaches and tiny little banana-blueberry loaves and cipollini onions and...and...etc. etc.

Yesterday I gathered my (vegetable) acquisitions and I roasted 'em! And did some other stuff; check it out...

Veggie-Grainy Bowl of YUM:

I recently ate the Dragonbowl Z at Curly's Lunch down by Union Square and was inspired to make my own version of it. First I roasted a whole big fat red pepper at 500 deg. F for about 30 minutes, till it was all scorched and sizzling. Then I put it in a covered bowl to cool before I peeled, cored and seeded it.

Meanwhile, I roasted one sliced and salted eggplant and some cubed squash with garlic at 425. The squash was done after about 30 minutes, the eggplant needed more time to sizzle, up to 45 mins.

Another
meanwhile: I combined barley, brown rice, and quinoa, strained it, threw it in a pot with enough water to cover plus an inch or two, and set that to cook for about 40 minutes (boil, then simmer covered till water is absorbed and grains are fully cooked).

Oh, and another step: I threw the roasted red pepper flesh into my cuisinart, gave that a whirl, poured it into a bowl, and swirled it around with olive oil and red wine vinegar (and of course some salt) to create a gorgeous looking red-pepper vinagrette.

And finally, the assembly, on a big serving platter:
1) bed of arugula;
2) few scoops of the grains;
3) the roasted veggies, all chopped up and mixed with the juice of 1/2 meyer lemon and freshly chopped mint and basil;
4) crumbled goat cheese and toasted sunflower seeds; and
5) the red-pepper vinagrette drizzled on top.

It's good at room temp or cold. And mmmm!

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