Expanding our Barbecue Horizons

Larry recently brought home a fun book on barbecuing vegetables. It's called From Garden to Grill by Elizabeth Orsini.

The conceit is that each recipe can be altered slightly to make it vegan or paleo or gluten-free, so the cook can feed a diverse group with minimal difficulty.

I browsed through it for inspiration before we took our weekly trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market.

There, at one of the organic farm stalls we frequent, I noticed the first spaghetti squash of the season. I told the farmer that I was going to barbecue it. He allowed as to how grilled banana squash is one of his favorites, so he wasn't taken aback at the idea of grilling spaghetti squash.

Larry was. He buys me a huge beautiful book on barbecuing vegetables and I find a spaghetti squash recipe! But I promised him corn and potato salad, and he agreed grilling squash would be an interesting experiment.

Well, I have to say, grilled spaghetti squash is awesome. We use charcoal briquettes — the regular kind from the grocery store — not gas. I don't know if that was the difference, but the squash was smoky and mellow and somehow rich - completely different to the oven-baked kind.

It was simple to cook. I washed the outside of the squash, cut it in half lengthwise and scooped out the seeds. I rubbed the cut part with olive oil and sprinkled on some hot paprika, salt and pepper. Then I placed it skin side down on the grill, put the lid on, and let it cook for 20-30 minutes until it was tender. (Fortunately Larry came home partway through and showed me how to adjust the air vents on the grill to increase the heat.)

While it was cooling enough to handle, I warmed some halved cherry tomatoes with olive oil and garlic in a skillet on the grill. Then I scraped the flesh from the squash into a bowl, tossed in the cherry tomatoes and sprinkled some basil on top.

Of course, food eaten outside always tastes better. But I think this spaghetti squash was the best I've ever eaten. Even Larry had second helpings.

Black Rice Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

We have a lovely little Meyer lemon tree that was covered with lemons this spring. They last well, so we're still enjoying the crop.

They have a more floral aroma than a regular lemon, which makes them well-suited to desserts and ice cream. But because we don't eat a lot of sweets, I experiment with using them in savory dishes. The other day I used them in a vinaigrette for this black rice salad that I served with chilled asparagus on the side. Their lightly floral yet tangy flavor really boosted the salad in a way plain lemon juice wouldn't.

I used black rice in the salad because I like to mix up the nutrients we get from our food. Brown rice, black rice and red rice all have different kinds of carotenoids and other vitamins. I think our bodies appreciate the diversity.

Plus, black rice always gets a reaction from its color alone. The cherry tomatoes and green beans really popped against it. I buy organic black rice from Lotus Foods at my local independent grocery store.

The walnuts added an earthy crunch and the Meyer lemon added a floral tone. A regular lemon could be substituted and the salad would still be good. (And it would probably be good with brown rice instead of black, but it wouldn't be as pretty!)

Black Rice Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
1 cup black rice
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp slivered red onion
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups green beans cut in 1 inch pieces

Cook rice according to packet instructions until tender, about 35-40 minutes. Drain it well and let it cool.

Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, watching closely. When they smell good, take them from the pan, let them cool a little, then chop coarsely.

Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt to taste.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently. Season to taste.

Serves 6 as a main course. The leftovers are good the next day too.

Bean and Barley Salad

It was hot on Sunday but I was determined that we would eat lunch outside.

So as the main course I served a chilled bean and barley salad. Fresh herbs added zest to the complete protein of beans and grains. I had planned to scatter feta over the top, but I forgot. It was still yummy. (I would have used about 2oz diced feta.)

Barley is best known as a soup grain, but it makes a lovely salad — more interesting and less dry than rice.

This salad is also good with black beans. And the herbs and vegetables can be swapped out for whatever is in your fridge.

The salad lasts well for a few days - I'll be eating the leftovers for lunch this week.

Bean and Barley Salad
2/3 cup chickpeas or other beans (or 2 14-oz cans)
1 cup barley
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3 tbsp lemon juice

Cook the chickpeas until tender. (In a pressure cooker it will take 22 minutes. In a pot of boiling water, 2-3 hours.) Drain and set aside to cool. (Or drain and rinse the canned beans.)

Cook barley in simmering water until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, parsley, mint, celery and red onion. Stir in the chickpeas and barley. Toss with the lemon rind and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper (more salt than you might think — the barley can take a lot).

Chill until ready to serve.

Garnish with watercress, nasturtium flowers and feta if desired.

Cooking in the Time of Drought

I think I bought this pasta pot when I moved into my first apartment, oh so long ago. It's followed me around ever since even though I rarely use it. A smaller pot suffices for pasta for one or two people.

However, I'm using it more in this time of drought because even though it takes a lot of water to fill it, the draining insert makes it really easy to save the pasta water to put on the plants.









The other night I pulled it out of the cupboard to cook tagliatelle with arugula (yes, our arugula patch keeps on giving!) and cherry tomatoes.

It took many kettles of water to fill the pot, but I persisted.

Then I added tagliatelle from Italy.



When it was cooked halfway through, I added the arugula to the pot, and cooked it all for another 5 minutes, until the pasta was al dente. I then lifted up the insert and let the water drain back into the pot.













Meanwhile, in a large skillet, I had fried cherry tomatoes and garlic in olive oil. I poured in the drained pasta and arugula, and tossed it all together.

Then we sat down to a simple meal.

While we ate, the pasta water in the big pot gradually cooled down. When it was at room temperature, we took it outside to water our little kumquat tree. I'm sure the extra vitamins from the arugula will be especially nourishing for it.

Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad with Marjoram and Feta

I usually make this salad in the summer with fresh corn and sun-ripened tomatoes, but the knotted marjoram in our garden is about to flower and there are good cherry tomatoes at my local grocery store, organic corn in the freezer and feta in the fridge.

How could I resist making it to go with the Red Lentil Burgers we had for dinner the other night?

Marjoram adds a wonderful base note to the sweetness of the corn and the saltiness of the feta. It's worth growing this aromatic herb for this salad alone.

Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad with Marjoram and Feta

10 oz package frozen organic corn
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup diced feta
1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram

Cook corn briefly according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.

Whisk together olive oil and red wine vinegar. Stir in cooled corn, tomatoes, feta and marjoram.

Serves 2-3

Padron Chilies on the Barbecue

When we barbecued Sunday night, I tossed a few Padron chilies on the grill for a speedy appetizer.

I find barbecuing is conducive to appetizers, because cooking over fire tends to be a leisurely activity.

This veggie appetizer is low-calorie so it doesn't spoil the appetite, but it's fun to eat because while Padron chilies are generally mild, the occasional one has quite a kick. No way to tell without biting it.

I washed and dried the chilies, and then put them on the grill with no seasoning. When they were nicely browned in places, I took them off the heat, sprinkled them with a little fleur de sel, and served them with a few freshly-picked Chadwick's Cherries cherry tomatoes from our garden.

Summer suppers and simplicity really go together.