It is all
too common for people my age to rage about how kids these days are
internet-absorbed, lazy, video game playing couch potatoes who are going
nowhere fast. With much
self-congratulatory confidence we assure ourselves that we were soooo much
better when we were young, forgetting all those times when we bagged school,
grabbed a case and went fishing at the shore on a school day. There are good and bad in every age and I can
guarantee from personal experience that my group was not always gold. Likewise, today most kids are great, some are
slugs. They party like rock stars, flunk
tests, act out and listen to that “Damn Rap!”
They don’t really care about others.
While there are young people who do all that crazy stuff, Marta Djalleta is not
one of them. She is making a difference.
I met Marta,
her sister and parents at our church. Her
mother is one of the talented music ministers and I cook chicken with her
father every 4th of July for our big neighborhood Jazz Vespers
BBQ. For her 16th birthday,
she raised money for Charity: Water
to dig a well in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. We’ll be getting the GPS coordinates and
pictures soon. Now, she is on to a new
thing. Here’s what Marta has to say:
“… I would like to tell you all that I am doing another
Chairty: Water campaign for my 40-day veganism during Lent. I have a small goal of $500, but I hope to
soon surpass this goal! As a reminder,
100% of your donations will fund the building of a well. My eggs and
cheese-loving self would appreciate your support during this trying period of
my life! You can show your support by
going to: http://my.charitywater.org/MartaGoesVegan and donating whatever you can!”
Send Marta your money!
Thirsty communities in the developing world are counting on you. And as soon as you are done, whip up this
vegan dish to celebrate and honor Marta and her effort to help the neediest in
our world.
_____
Zucchini and Mushroom Bombe with a Tomato Coulis (serves 4)
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into strips 1/4 inch
thick
1lb. white mushrooms
1 28 oz. can of tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. fresh basil leaves, sliced julienne (long, thin
strips)
1 small shallot
5 tbs. olive oil
salt and black pepper
Roughly chop the mushrooms and shallot by hand or in a food
processor. Be careful not to liquefy the
mushrooms, you want them to be cut into uneven pieces about 1/4 inches in
size. Sauté the mushrooms and shallots
in a heavy pan until dry, about 10 minutes.
Use a wooden spoon to keep them moving so they will not burn. When fully cooked, they will be black and
will clump onto the spoon as you stir them.
Move the mushroom stuffing into a bowl and reserve it while you do the
next step.
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Spread 2 tbs. of olive oil on a baking sheet. Lay the zucchini slices on the baking sheet,
season with salt and pepper, bake for 10 minutes, until the zucchini cooks and
begins to brown on the edges. The
mushrooms and zucchini can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated until final
assembly.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Oil the inside of a small bowl or 6 oz coffee cup. Lay the zucchini slices in the cups with the
ends hanging over the outside of the cup.
Fill the cup with mushrooms to within 1/4 inch of the top. Tap the cups to settle the mushroom mixture
and drive out any air bubbles. Fold the
zucchini slices over the top of the mushrooms, sealing the Bombe. Bake the Bombes in a shallow baking pan
filled with 1/2 inch of water for 30 minutes, until they have heated through.
While the Bombes are cooking, puree the drained tomatoes in
a food processor. Strain them through a
fine strainer into a 6 qt. saucepot.
Heat the tomato Coulis on high until reduced by 1/3. stir in the remaining olive oil, add the
julienne basil, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, cover and allow the
flavors to blend and marry for a minute.
Serve the Zucchini Bombes on a large dinner plate. Briefly reheat the coulis. Cover the bottom of the plate with 4 tbs. of
the Tomato Coulis. Turn the Bombe out of
the cups in the center of the plate.
Serve immediately.
always good to hear about the great people doing great things over at St. John's, best of luck to Marta. gonna have to try this dish, fits well with my lifestyle. btw can you sub the zucchini with eggplant?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the question, a good one.
DeleteYou could swap out eggplant for the zucchini, however you'll need to do a couple of things differently. If you are using the standard eggplant, slice it slightly thicker, It will not hold up as well as zucchini when cooked in the cups. Soak the sliced eggplant in salted water for 30 minutes to remove some of the bitterness. Drain it well, then bake it less than you would the zucchini. Baked zucchini will hold together, while fully baked eggplant will turn to mush. You'll never get it in the cups properly. This summer, how about trying young yellow squash with a yellow tomato Coulis.
One other thing to think about. The mushroom flavor will not pair as well with eggplant. Try doing a half mushroom, half fennel mix for the stuffing.