Recipe Shmecipe: Sound of Silence Bowl
Posted by Aarti on January 26th, 2012 . Filed under: Uncategorized .
This was my lunch yesterday.
A bowl of slow-roasted fennel, tomatoes and chickpeas in lots of olive oil and cumin, with a big hunk of toasted bread to sop up all those juices (I seem to be able to eat a little bread at the moment, without breaking out into Little Miss Moonface. Hallelujah!).
It was also my breakfast this morning.
If you look carefully, you can see where some of those tomato-y juices fell on my thigh and stained my jeans.
It was a pretty idyllic moment. Bren and I had both been pretty productive all day, and whilst we were both working away, so was my oven, roasting these lovelies into melt-in-your-mouth submission. Bren had woken up in a good deal of pain, sore from his neck down to his shoulder blades (if you pray, would you pray for healing?), and I had resisted the temptation of warm covers and cuddles to make a 7am Pilates class. We deserved a good lunch.
We sat side by side, tendrils of steam curling around us as the gentle winter sunlight dappled the sides of our faces. A quick prayer of thanksgiving, and then spoons in… a tentative first bite, followed by the satisfying crunch of grilled bread… then, silence. You always know you’ve made a good meal when that’s what you hear: silence. Well, silence except for the sounds of spoons scraping plates and mouths chewing, and three words.
“This is lovely,” Bren said, between mouthfuls.
It was only a few minutes of bliss, but my, how beautiful it was.
That fennel is so buttery, so tender… that fresh licorice flavour (that some of us don’t love) transformed into a shy nuttiness that has my heart. It seemed to relax our muscles, to let go of that breath we might have been holding for hours.
As I was cleaning up, I thought, “I’ve got to blog about this!”. Not only is this a meal that might afford a few precious moments of quiet, it’s also a really practical one. This is a lifesaver of a meal, done in about 40 minutes, with just a few ingredients and a flick of the wrist. Plus it costs just a few dollars and despite being meat-free, it’s incredibly satisfying thanks to nature’s little bums: chickpeas.
Must give credit where it’s due: I adapted this Bon Appetit recipe, nixing the garlic, adding some cumin & meyer lemon, and using much less oil.
So, when you’re at the farmers market this week, grab yourself a few bulbs of fennel and treat yourself to a big bowl of silence. It might be just what the doctor ordered.
Sound of Silence Bowl
Roasted Fennel, Tomatoes and Chickpeas with Cumin & Meyer Lemon
1) Oven: 425 degrees.
2) Grab a large oven-proof skillet (be careful about using a cast-iron one because the acid from the tomatoes will draw some iron into the dish, which isn’t BAD per se, but does muddy the flavours. I used a stainless steel skillet.). Add a little less than half a cup of oil, and warm over medium heat until hot.
3) Meanwhile, prep 2 large fennel bulbs (or 3 medium ones, as I did). Make sure you wash ‘em really well. Cut off the stalks, but hold onto them. Halve the bulbs, then halve them again lengthwise so you have nice wedges.
4) Tomatoes: use either 2 pints of grape tomatoes or 3-4 large tomatoes, cut into thick wedges. Chop up handful of the fennel fronds.
5) Add fennel wedges to the oil, sprinkle with salt, and cook about 10 minutes, turning occasionally so they are slightly browned all over.
6) Add tomatoes, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a couple generous pinches of ground cumin, and some more salt. Gently toss and cook about a minute. Then put the whole lot in the oven and bake about 30 minutes.
7) Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Add to the pan with the fennel fronds, stir to combine and cook another 5 minutes.
Finish with fresh meyer lemon zest, and a squeeze of juice. Serve, and enjoy the silence.
-x-
aarti
January 26th, 2012 at 5:42 am
That sounds cozy and lovely. Yay for Bon Appetit, and yay for you!
I’ve never cooked with fennel. I don’t mind the taste of licorice, so raw fennel doesn’t faze me. However, I’m curious to taste cooked fennel and what the flavors do after it’s been roasted or grilled or whatever.
May have to try this recipe. “Nature’s little bums”. Hee. X )
January 26th, 2012 at 6:37 am
I love the bowl! Want to know why? Because I recognize it. I have that same bowl in my work locker for when I want to have soup on a lunch break. It’s so pretty AND functional.
If it takes away the licorice flavor that I associate with fennel, I’m definitely willing to give it a try.
January 27th, 2012 at 3:40 am
What a beautiful post Aarti! Loved the simplicity yet amazing taste of this dish. Good luck for the pilates sessions, may all your dreams come true. Love the chickpea addition, am now ready to try fennel. Bless you, I learn so much from your blog and shows. Love your simplicity Aarti.
Cheers
Anitha
January 27th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Hi–I will make this—I can almost taste it just looking at it..yum…I woke up to lots of pain this morning too—I was in a car accident once, but it seems to be something no one can figure out….I will remember Bren in my prayers—it is not fun for sure…
January 28th, 2012 at 6:25 am
It looks delicious, healthy and fun. WIN WIN !!!! Thank you for sharing. You rock!
January 30th, 2012 at 8:02 am
Amazing! So flavorful and warming. Great recipe.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:40 am
I love your style of cooking Aarti! Healthy, creative, and delicious! I live in a gluten free household, and we try to avoid eating too much meat, so I love your recipies! Keep up the good work!
February 8th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
With such few ingredients, I was skeptical how this recipe would turn out. Also, I’ve never tried fennel bulbs in my food before.
You have appropriately named the dish “Sound of Silence Bowl”. My partner & I shared a silent dinner last night, not even bothering to look at the Tube.
Thanks Aarti; look forward to trying more recipes from your pantry.
February 17th, 2012 at 10:04 am
This looks delicious! And if it didn’t, your description totally sold me on it.
You’re always a ray of sunshine.
Love you Aarti!