Ahhhhhhhh - we’ve collectively released that breath we’ve been holding and the changing of the guard occurred peacefully. As they slowly roll the vaccine out I’m grateful that we are healthy but still anxious to get back to the life we had before the pandemic arrived. There are people to spend time with, vacations to take, events and milestones to celebrate, and restaurants to patronize - it’s been a long haul.
I’m still cooking but the addition of Master Gardener classes, meetings, and volunteering (online of course) takes up some of that extra time I had for reading and writing and fancy dinners. We’re still shopping for longer periods of time, staying out of stores during prime times, and eating all that bottled up goodness from last years harvest.
We’ve in the planning process for our 2021 vegetable garden; deciding what has to go and what new things we should try. There will definitely be tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, green beans, and the rest of the regular crew. Bell peppers still made the cut but we’re moving them to pots in the front where there is more sun - and hopefully, that will increase the harvest. Dan did some seed saving from the honeynut butternut squash we had last year - he’s going to try to get his own vines growing. I have to say they were the sweetest and best-tasting squash I’ve ever had.
This week's stir fry was a combination of some of my favorite veggies - broccoli eggplant, mushrooms and bok choy in a garlic sauce. The crunch of the broccoli and bok choy paired with the softened eggplant and mushrooms was the perfect compliment.
Ingredients:
Garlic Sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons mirin
2 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon sesame oil, divided
1 T corn starch
2 tablespoon water
8 medium garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
Stir Fry
One bunch of green onions, chopped whites, and some greens for garnish.
Sesame oil, 2-3 tbsp
1 head Broccoli, cut into bite-size or slightly larger pieces
1 large Eggplant, cut into bite-size or larger pieces
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
3 baby bok choy, cut lengthwise into pieces
Instructions:
Combine rice vinegar, sugar, tamari, mirin, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stirring to combine. (this is the sauce base)
In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water.
Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant (around 30 seconds). Re-stir the sauce, add it to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring. (This will take about a minute).
Re-stir the cornstarch- water mixture and add it to the sauce a little at a time (stirring as to combine) until it is a desired thickness-- it will thicken quickly as it heats up. For a thinner sauce, use less of the cornstarch-water mix.Transfer to a bowl or liquid measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.
Stir Fry
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add 2-3 tbsp oil and heat until shimmering but not burning. Add onions and saute a minute or two until just tender. Add eggplant and saute 3-4 minutes until starting to get tender. Add broccoli and mushrooms, cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Then add in bok choy and saute until wilted and tender. Cook longer for softer vegetables.
Add the garlic sauce to the sautéed vegetables and stir to combine. Heat 2-3 minutes until warm. Serve over rice. Garnish with green parts of green onion.
Thanks for stopping by!
