Burned eggplant with pomegranate, caramelized fennel with goat curd, rhubarb tarts...

…are part of the overall plan for dinner tonight! The burned eggplant is Yotam’s dish I made a couple weeks back and looooveed, and the caramelized fennel is a new one of his I’ve been eyeing. Now, C.T.-A. obviously hit the jackpot in giving me Plenty, but she also gifted me with a whole grains cookbook, Good to the Grain. Are you kidding?! These two couldn’t have been more perfect for me.

In GttG, I discovered the rhubarb tartlet recipe. It calls for a rhubarb-hibiscus compote but I’ll be damned if I could find dried hibiscus flowers anywhere. One option was to purchase hibiscus tea but the only one I could find that was just hibiscus was $10. I think not. So, I’m going to use the delightful sounding corn crust but put a strawberry-rhubarb compote inside instead.

We’re going to have a mezze spread dinner; I bought some stuffed grape leaves, whole wheat lavash and a feta salsa that is to die for.

Try this: crumbled feta, chopped scallions, chopped dill, chopped sundried tomatoes, chopped kalamata olives, EVOO, s&p. Mix together and chill. LOVE.

Whole grains

I cannot extol enough the virtue and goodness of whole grains and flours. From the simplest of substitutions -whole wheat spaghetti or couscous for regular- to the potentially more complex -incorporating littler known or harder to find flours and grains such as spelt and quinoa- not only are these grains and flours healthier for you than refined, bleached ones, but also they often offer more interesting, nuanced flavors to your dishes.

As you might recall, I made a batch of our beloved Cherry-Cardamom Scones a few weeks back; one of its star ingredients is spelt flour which lends such an earthy, nuttiness to the scones and in the best way, complements the tang of the cherries and the cardamom’s delicate yet pronounced flavor and smell.

We also have a remarkable recipe for Spaghetti al Olio e Aglio (oil and garlic) with red pepper flakes, anchovies and shrimp; whole wheat spaghetti takes it up a notch for sure! And it’s just a given that we always use whole wheat couscous now.

This morning, Tom made his sublime whole grain pancakes which are lighter than air; such is often not the case with whole grain baking results. We found this recipe on epicurious, and it is a family favorite oft requested. Oatmeal, whole wheat flour, nutmeg, buttermilk… I’ll post the recipe in Em-i-lis Recipes in a sec, but here’s a pic in the meantime:

I would also like to encourage you to try Grade B Maple Syrup- it’s dark and more richly flavored than Grade A. We’ve just discovered this and are happy to have done so!

Is anyone familiar with the flowering plant, Coral Bells, or Heuchera? They are one of m

Is anyone familiar with the flowering plant, Coral Bells, or Heuchera? They are one of my favorite perennials and do so well in our area (DC, zone 6/7). Additionally, they come in a huge range of leaf coloration so you can combine multiple types in your yard providing consistency yet diversity.

This first pic is my newest Coral Bell, Berry Smoothie. I thought its magenta leaves were totally magnetic and an earthy way to liven things up, introduce a little spiciness into the yard. The second pic is a pan shot of 1/3 of the yard -please ignore all dead grass due to lingering wood piles; this part is mostly shade so I’ve spent the last few years nurturing shade-tolerant or shade-prefering perennials (better bang for your buck, peeps!). The azaleas remind me of Louisiana, snapdragons are one of my favorite, favorite blossoms, and you might be able to discern the various Coral Bells that pepper the yard.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, gardening is a balm for the soul.