Creative Cooking

Someone asked me the other day why I used green cabbage instead of red in my spicy coleslaw.

Red cabbage is often considered healthier than green because of the additional protective phytonutrients in the red pigment. However, each variety of cabbage - red, green and Savoy - contains a different combination of health-promoting nutrients, so a variety of cabbages in the diet is a good thing. Diversity is the key to health.

That's the highfalutin' reason I made my coleslaw from green cabbage.

The real reason is that the farmer I bought my fresh organic cabbage from at the Hollywood Farmers Market only had green cabbage for sale. I choose to support local organic farmers, and that means eating what they grow, not necessarily what I planned to cook.

For example, last week I planned to make ratatouille. Sunday morning at the market I picked up organic red peppers and tomatoes, and went on the hunt for eggplants. There were none. For weeks I've been buying eggplants, but now they had disappeared.

I considered going to Whole Foods for an organic eggplant, but I prefer to put my grocery dollars in the hands of the people who grow my produce.

So I turned to Plan B. Instead of ratatouille this week, we're eating stir-fries with the red peppers. I'm making a chili sauce with the tomatoes. Last night I used the zucchini in this kamut pilaf.

And maybe next week the eggplant will have returned and I can make a ratatouille.

This kamut dish is an easy one to put together on a warm summer evening. Cook the kamut ahead and let it cool to room temperature. Then 20 minutes before you want to eat, finish the cooking quickly in a skillet. It has a slightly Asian flavor. Add more tamari if you are used to saltier food. Look for organic rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil at your local health food store. They're a great addition to the pantry.

Kamut with Zucchini
3/4 cup kamut
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp minced ginger root
2 cloves garlic
1 1/4 lb zucchini
2 tbsp mirin (or dry sherry)
1 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Cook the kamut in plenty of boiling water until tender, 30-40 minutes. It's cooked when it's lost its crunch but still has texture - like al dente pasta. Drain and set aside.

Warm the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Chop the zucchini in roughly 1/4 inch dice. Add to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes until it is tender.

Add the mirin, tamari and kamut and cook until warmed through. Stir in the rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil.

Serves 3-4