I never thought I’d eat something like this.

Pearled barley with a slew of vegetables and tempeh? Not exactly your run of the mill meal (ha!). This was such a stretch, I didn’t even intend to post it here. Hence the lack of photos.

I mean, I’ve cooked risotto before. But never with barley. And, I’ve cooked tempeh a couple of times. But I’ve never swooned over it.

So, when this thrown together, what-do-I-have-in-the-fridge recipe turned out so well, I was a little surprised. I mean, I come from a foundation of chicken fried steak and white rice (which is equally good…especially if it’s my mom’s…it’s just a different kind of cooking, you know?). I always thought food like tofu or especially tempeh or even barley was food you just didn’t eat if you wanted your food to taste good.
Boy, was I wrong.
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One of the first cookbooks I started cooking from was a 640 page Martha Stewart Living Cookbook. Though it’s a great resource, it probably wasn’t the best cookbook for a beginner.

Each recipe I tried called for about 40 different ingredients, most of which were totally new to me. Cardamom? Creme fraiche? What the hell are those? I didn’t know enough to be able to make substitutions, so gathering the gourmet ingredients for each meal would easily cost me $100. Since I was a poor college student, my cooking escapades were rare.

This was probably my Junior year of college. I lived with 3 other girls I was happy to feed. And, of course there was A who usually had a couple of roommates in tow. So, I commonly cooked for 7. Not exactly the best number of guests to have when you’re learning to cook.

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My husband often teases/brags that I’m like the MacGyver of the kitchen. According to him, you could give me a can of tomato sauce, a couple of carrots and a jar of peanut butter and I’ll create a gourmet meal. He exaggerates a bit of course. I’m not a secret government agent (I do carry a Swiss Army knife, though). And, while I probably would not be able to create something remotely edible with the ingredients above, he’s right that I can look at the groceries we have and come up with a way to make a meal without having to make a run to the store. This talent might be due to the fact that I grew up living 2 hours away from the nearest grocery store. ‘Making do’ has been ingrained in me. Or, perhaps it’s just laziness?

Really though, I love the challenge of creating an amazing meal from a random smattering of ingredients. I’ll often consult recipes for ideas, but am forced to create something on my own (often a mash-up of various recipes) using what I have available. To me, it’s like creating art.

So, a couple of nights ago, our grocery situation was looking bare. I knew I had a Greenling delivery coming soon and would be creating a planned menu for the week once I received my Local Box. There was no point in making two trips to the grocery store in the space of 4 days. (more…)