In this
metanode, unlike my nodes for single dishes, I don't provide quantities or detailed instructions. This is because when faced with a long string of ingredients for three different dishes, some readers might get
discouraged. And that's the opposite of what I want to do.
So this, as with the other Not Just Brown Gack write-ups, is intended to provide some hopefully useful ideas of how to think about preparing a meal as a whole.
One thing that you might notice is that I think it can unify a meal to have small quantities of a particular herb or spice appear in the various dishes. This helps to unify the meal.
Barley and Herbed Fava Beans
Marinate tinned fava beans in extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, fresh black pepper, chopped garlic, and a small bit of dried oregano. Toss with cooked barley. Garnish with huge quantities of fresh oregano.
Vidalia Onion Soup
Bring vegetable stock to a boil. In another soup pot, sauté diced celery and carrot, rougly chopped Vidalia onions and minced garlic. When the vegetables become fragrant, pour the stock over top. Season with kosher salt, fresh black pepper, torn fresh basil leaves, a small quantity of dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Allow to simmer for an hour. Serve garnished with crumbled feta cheese.
Wild Mushroom Jumble
Roughhly chop and sauté portobello mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil and a small bit of butter. Add whole large cremini and torn oyster mushrooms. Season with kosher salt and fresh black pepper, paprika, ancho chile powder, and fresh tarragon. Garnish with a few more sprigs of fresh tarragon.
Would you like to go to Vegetarian Meals That Aren't Just Brown Gack?