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The online cookbook for entertaining and gourmet recipes. |
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Grilled Vegetable Escabeche
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Recipe serves:
N/A
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A Little Background
As I look out my kitchen window into the back yard, I reflect upon gas prices, our new President, the cost of everything in our lives going up, and how good my coffee tastes. My thoughts soon drift to something else of relevance in our lives. The time will soon be here again to enjoy the rewards of our rejuvenated and reborn kitchen garden.
Every now and then, I run outside and pick some fresh rosemary, which is still growing. Otherwise, the freezing temperatures have made dormant all growth.
This year we had beets, potatoes of differing variety, and carrots in the 'tall box', and a row of three other shorter boxes adorning the east side of our lot.
As for the successes of the whole ordeal, the Thai pepper bush yielded some small fiery chilies, and the tomatoes came on strong. Chives made their mark, but the Brussel Sprouts weren’t as successful as I had hoped.
By mid-summer, we had nice tomatoes to go with the basil. Adding a little fresh mozzarella, oregano, EV olive oil and a good 15-year aged Modena Balsamic, we noshed on caprisi salad quite a few times.
Aside from the caprisi salad, one of the easiest preparations for all of these beautiful vegetables is a simple roasting and chilling, then tossing them (already coated in extra virgin olive oil, pepper and salt) with a little red wine vinegar, and maybe sugar and pepper to taste. Red pepper flakes are optional, as are fresh chilies, of course roasted with the veggies.
This dish could be an Italian antipasto, or with the addition of the sugar and chilies, a Spanish-style escabeche (pickled vegetables). Typically, in an escabeche preparation, you would gently simmer the vegetables in the pickling medium or water (adding the pickling goodies afterwards), but the roasting gives a wonderful layer of flavor to entice your patio guests in the warmer months.
Since the dish is ultimately chilled, it can be served on a platter alongside the other summer salads; potato, cole slaw, or my famous (Well, maybe not famous, but savored by my wife) four-potato salad.
Adding to the vibrant colors that already adorn the table during the ‘garden months’, these veggies will compliment any grilling affair, and just make sure to email me and let me know what time to get there. I'll bring the drinks.
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