Vegetarian

Classic Tabbouleh

April 14, 2016 by Charles Leave a Comment

As I noted last post, I have been on a Jerusalem kick. The flavors and ingredients of the Near East are exotic, yet delightful, offering a welcome change from some of the normal mid-week meals. One such ingredient is tahini, a ground sesame paste, that is central to hummus, halvah, and other staples of middle eastern cuisine. Another ingredient is bulgur, which is a critical component of kibbeh (a stuffed meatball) and tabbouleh.

In one recent dinner, a layered kibbeh pie, we had a mix of bulgur and tahini (along with ground beef, pine nuts, and plenty of chopped parsley). Speaking of chopped parsley, tabbouleh can properly be seen as a vehicle for parsley and more parsley. It is a parsley-heavy salad. But it is also a cool …

Wild Rice with Spiced Chickpeas

March 27, 2016 by Charles Leave a Comment

I have been really enjoying Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem of late. The book features recipes from the Israeli and Arab cultures of the region, with many vegetarian recipes highlighted. Chickpeas, eggplants, and tahini are, predictably, staples of many of the items found in the book. Many of the recipes are straight-forward and come together relatively quickly. All of them have been delicious.

This Wild Rice and Spiced Chickpea …

Herb and Apple Stuffing

February 18, 2016 by Charles 1 Comment

I wouldn’t consider myself a stuffing man. It’s not something I usually think to have or make with a meal. And I am definitely not bold enough to try putting the stuffing in any raw bird. That’s just not something I am willing to try.

But this past Thanksgiving (yes, this recipe is looong overdue) I was willing to try a stuffing recipe. And I am glad that I did. This recipe turned out great. It was absolutely delicious and the leftover stuffing was the first of the Thanksgiving leftovers to bite the dust.

We had actually tried to make cute stuffing muffins from this recipe, packing the mixed stuffing into buttered muffin tins. The stuffing cooked fine, but it did not hold together in a muffin shape. Instead, it quickly came apart the minute we removed it from the tins. In the end, it was probably for the best. I liked…

Butternut Squash Tart with Rosemary Crust

January 16, 2016 by Charles Leave a Comment

Picking a recipe is never easy. There are thousands of recipes on any given website and among any collection of cookbooks. And then, when cooking for a crowd, things get only more complicated, as more and more tastes, allergies, and preferences must be accounted for.

Among the vast collections of recipes, this one stood out almost immediately. I love a good homemade crust. Caitlin loves a good gourd. The addition of fresh rosemary (from our own herb garden out back) was an additional selling point. Beyond those considerations, …

CSA Corn and Black Bean Salad

September 12, 2015 by Charles Leave a Comment

We are now in the second year of our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from the La Vista farm in Godfrey, Illinois. Every other week, we pick up our bounty of fresh vegetables and herbs. In recent weeks, we have been enjoying La Vista’s tomatoes, okra, summer squash, basil, and other similar items from our farm basket. We have also supplemented from our herb garden, replete with rosemary, thyme, and dill, giving us the full array of summer flavors.

This recipe comes together…