Grilled Garden Vegetables

When the vegetables in the garden are fresh, they don't need much help to taste delicious.  I like to put them on the grill and dress and season them lightly. Most vegetables grill fairly well - as long as they're big enough not to fall through the grate.  Here, I'm using bell pepper, long beans and aubergine.

First, I like to coat everything lightly with olive oil and season with salt.  It tastes great and keeps things from sticking.  Then I like to get a good char on the peppers so that the skin slides off easily.  The beans and eggplant need to grill just long enough to become tender - not mushy.

Plate it up fancy!  So many vegetable dishes tend to be simply piled on the place.  Take a moment to arrange the ingredients to be visually appealing.  I like to serve it with fresh tarragon, basil and cherry tomatoes.  Then, drizzle a bit of aged balsamic and olive oil for extra flavour.  Happy Summer!

Goulash braised Cabbage

This is a perfect warm and filling dish for the winter months.  It's like a goulash, but without the meat.  Of course, it's possible to add fake meat, but I like to let the natural flavours of the ingredients stand on their own.

I use a seasoning mix of caraway seeds, garlic and paprika.  To add extra umami dimensions, I use just a bit of tamari sauce.

Begin by sauteing the caraway seeds in olive oil.  Toast them lightly and keep a watchful eye since they can burn easily.  To the hot oil and caraway, add chopped onions, celery, carrots and peppers.  Allow them to soften, but not brown - browning can add bitterness.

Then, add shredded or chopped red and white cabbage.  I also like to add a can of stewed tomatoes since fresh ones are hard to come by in the winter.  Fill the pan with enough water so that the mixture is submerged.  Add a bit of salt to suit your taste, keeping in mind that the stew will reduce while cooking.  You can always add more salt to finish the dish, but you can't take any out.

Bring the stew to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer.  Continue cooking until the cabbage is tender.

I like to serve it over rice!