Spring Umami Grain Bowl

To celebrate MPC’s 3rd Birthday (we made it through 2020 WhooHooo!!) I am launching the regular appearance of Vegan Tuesday, which was born out of weekly family meals that I cooked for my beloved Spottswoode Winery’s Lunch Bunch in Napa Valley. So look out for our post each Tuesday.

 This week’s Vegan Tuesday is an umami-rich play on a familiar favorite- the grain bowl. Feel free to sub any veggies with what you have on hand and enjoy!

Umami Spring Grain Bowl

Serves 2-4

Cook according to package instructions, with a pinch of salt and a piece of kombu* the length of your thumb:

1 c Kasha (toasted Buckwheat)

½ c Pearled Barley (Sub brown rice for gluten free option)

Mix together to fully combine and add 1 Scallion, thinly sliced

For the veggies:

2 beets**, (mix of red, yellow, Chioggia- whatever you like) roasted in the ashes of your grill

Alternatively:

  - Wrap in foil and roast on 375F in your oven until tender, then peel, cut into wedges, and dust with ground chipotle chili

  - You can also purchase already cooked beets at the grocery, then prepare as above

1 head Maitake Mushroom, broken into pieces and cooked in a medium-hot skillet with olive oil and salt to taste until browned

1 Watermelon Daikon or other Radish, sliced thinly

1 Bunch Asparagus, peeled ¾ of the way up from the bottom and blistered over super high heat in a cast iron skillet, plancha, or grill (typically no more than 5 minutes total cooking time). When the asparagus turn a vibrant bright green, remove them from the heat, season with salt and lemon zest and put on a plate or sheet pan and into the fridge for 5 minutes to stop the cooking and preserve that delicious crunch

All of these veggies, except for the maitake, can be prepped up to a day ahead (or 3-5 days for the beets)

 Scoop your desired of grain into a bowl and arrange the veggies in a manner pleasing to your senses on top. If you have fresh mint, dill, parsley, fennel, or other herb, sprinkle it over generously along with a golden drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil and enjoy!

* Kombu is a seaweed that adds mineral, iodine, gelatin, and umami flavor to whatever you’re cooking. It also is super delicious, nutritious, and supporting seaweed farmers helps to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere and preserve ocean health. Recommended producers: Daybreak Seaweed, Strong Arm Farm, and GreenWave to learn more about how rad seaweed is.

** If you are going to roast beets, go ahead a roast a bunch and then keep them in an air-tight container in your fridge for up to 5 days. You can use them through the week in salads, with roasted meat, or purée with coconut oil and lime zest and juice to taste to create a delicious snacking dip