Magic Roasted Tomatoes, Fennel, and Grapes with Farro

Serves 4

God, I love roasted vegetables! Something so wondrous happens in that roasting pan that brings out the very best flavor from each little baby that you throw in there. This magical ditty introduced me to my new favorite thing in the world—roasted grapes! Man, oh man, we are talking drop dead delicious here folks! Who knew? I feel like I won the lottery having made this discovery! This dish is tweaked a bit from its original form. The real recipe calls for red and yellow bell peppers. Being that I have made a solemn vow never to have anything to do with any type of bell pepper, I opted to swap them out for grape tomatoes. I also tossed in some red onion for good measure. Lastly, I decided to serve the mixture over a bed of farro. Y-U-M!!!

INGREDIENTS

Farro

1 cup farro

2 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds

drizzle of olive oil

Roasted Wonders

4 cloves garlic

1 medium red onion

1/2 of one large fennel bulb

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes

1 cup red grapes

3/4 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

fresh ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Rinse farro. Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. (Farro foams a bit while cooking, so use a pot large enough to accommodate the foam). Add farro and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain any excess water, discard or save for another use.

Step Two: While farro is cooking, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Thinly slice garlic cloves. Thinly slice fennel bulb, leaving core intact. Slice onion into large pieces. Place all into a roasting pan. Add tomatoes, grapes, beans, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gently stir well to coat vegetables and fruit with olive oil.

Step Three: Place in oven and roast. Stir after 12 minutes. Return to oven and roast an additional 12-18 minutes, until vegetables are golden brown and grapes and tomatoes are beginning to burst.

Step Four: Add lemon juice, fennel fronds, and a drizzle of olive oil to farro. Spread farro on a serving platter. Top with roasted majesties (including juices in the pan) and serve immediately.

Source: Expanded from “Fennel, Chickpeas, Peppers, and Grapes,” Whole Living, September 2010.

Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Croutons

Serves 4

So I’m not totally sold on the “Caesar-ness” of this salad dressing. It was very tasty in its own right, and I will likely make it again, but it’s just not quite what it sets out to be. I added a few more capers (for a total of about 1 1/2 teaspoons) and a bit of the caper brine to attempt to up the tang factor—which in my opinion is the best part of a good Caesar dressing. I really loved the croutons and I am happy that I have a bunch leftover for this week’s salads!

INGREDIENTS

Croutons

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves roasted garlic

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 medium loaf French or Italian bread (little less than 1 pound), stale and torn or sliced into bite sized pieces (I used Dave’s Killer Bread Good Seed Peace Bomb Sprouted Wheat Baguette which is flourless and awesome!)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad

1/2 cup soft tofu

1/4 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoon grated Parmesan + more for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chopped capers

Salt to taste

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 large head romaine lettuce, heart and tender leaves, washed, dried and chopped into bite-size pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap garlic cloves in foil and place in oven. Allow to roast until soft, about 30 minutes. 

Step Two: Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine olive oil, roasted garlic and lemon juice. With a fork or immersion blender mash or blend the roasted garlic till creamy.

Step Three: Add torn bread and toss to coat each piece with the garlic/oil mixture. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt if desired and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown. Toss the croutons twice during baking. Remove from oven and cool croutons on baking sheet.

Step Four: Place tofu, honey, cheese, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and capers in blender or food processor, and process. Season with salt and pepper.

Step Five: To assemble salad, place lettuce in salad bowl. Add 1/4 cup croutons and half of dressing. Toss well to coat leaves evenly with dressing. Garnish with another 1/4 cup croutons and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Source: Croutons are from the Post Punk Kitchen recipe, “Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Croutons.” View the recipe on ThePPK.com. The salad is from the Vegetarian Times recipe, “Caesar Salad.” View the recipe on VegetarianTimes.com.