Semantics Matter

In my alternate life I’m a writer for a software company - but not just any software company, one that does a kick ass job at semantics. It’s what we do all day every day. 

Thursday was bookclub (or wine club as Dan likes to call it) and I offered to bring an appetizer. My garden has a full crop of cherry tomatoes and basil so I decided to make those little appetizers with a cherry tomato, 1 basil leaf, a tiny mozzarella pearl and a splash of balsamic reduction. 

As I was assembling my ingredients I realized I didn’t have any toothpicks. In hindsight I should have called my neighbor but I decided to run over to the Dollar Store and get some. When I got there they were closed for some unknown reason but I was confident I could get them at Target, which is right next door. 

After searching for 10 minutes I asked a young man if he could tell me where I might find toothpicks. With a confident air he said of course you will find them over by the toothpaste and dentil floss! Chuckling I tried to explain that I was not looking for dental picks I was looking for little wooden skewers that you used to thread food on and serve as appetizers. Sadly he shook his head and said “Never heard of that kind of toothpick.” 

With no toothpick in sight, I grabbed a veggie tray from the deli and headed home - Semantics Matter!

A few days before the Semantics incident I made a batch of vegan portabella stuffed mushrooms because I had 4 in my refrigerator waiting to be eaten. We’re at that point in the summer where dinner is defined by what’s in the fridge - it’s always an adventure. The recipe I started with was for 2 so I doubled what you see below.

Ingredients:

For the Mushrooms:

2 portobello mushrooms

Avocado oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Stuffing:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion diced

1 celery stalk

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small red bell pepper (approximately 1/2 cup), diced

1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced

Mushroom stems, chopped

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 teaspoon each rosemary, thyme, and tarragon

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup chickpeas

1 packed cup kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

A pinch of black pepper

Instructions:

Mushrooms:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and set aside. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes.

While mushrooms are cooking, prepare the filling.

Stuffing:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Add the onion and celery and sauté for a couple minutes, until translucent.

Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the remaining ingredients,. Cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is wilted and tomatoes have broken down.

When the mushroom caps are done, remove from the oven and stuff with the filling and add a sprinkle of feta cheese. Depending on the size of the caps, there may be some leftover filling.

Simple ingredients, fantastic results. Thanks for stopping by!