My take on Moroccan

Picture this: The road is long, dark and winding, covered with canopy trees. The land drops off the sides into deep ravines. When you look up, the sky starts to spit cool rain. The area is deserted except for a stray forest creature and minimal signs of civilization. You are lost.

Well, maybe it wasn't as dramatic as that. We went to the Rhubarb Festival at a winery in Connecticut Sunday. In all honesty, it was a trek to find this place. The whole way, I was just praying that we wouldn't get lost in the woods without cell phone reception. As the sky drew darker, my hopes got higher that it wouldn't be a wasted trip. When we finally arrived (after one wrong turn too many), we were faced with a small quaint winery, full of old-timers and their children. The winery produced a variety of fruit wines made from fruit grown on the farm it sat on. While the place was small and sooo not "New York," the wines were amazing. They each had a distinct fruit flavor, but with a versatility and sippability I didn't anticipate.

Now, mind you, we went for a Rhubarb Festival. In my boyfriends words, this was actually more of a "get together" that happened to serve items incorporating rhubarb. 5 dishes- 2 savory and 3 sweet. They were delicious, but not the "festival food" we had anticipated, and definitely not the "festival experience" we were accustomed to. But still, the Rhubarb Festival was a treat. Something different that we cannot do every day in the city. Plus, getting lost and bickering about directions ended up being a bit of a bonding experience. :)


Now, on to dinner! Sorry this recipe is so late. This has been another butt-kicking week at work. I did have the pleasure of watching Phil Collins warm up though, which was a total treat. For dinner on Monday I made a Moroccan-inspired meal of Spring Vegetable Tagine with Quinoa, Yogurt and Mint. It was freaking amazing!! Bright, fresh, colorful, sweet, salty, savory, and just plain yummy. While not actually cooked in a tagine, it is the style and the flavors that I was going for. Check out the recipe below:


Spring Vegetable Tagine: Yields 4-6 Servings
1 lb whole small carrots, tops removed and sliced in half
1/2 lb broccoli rabe, tough stems removed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb English shell peas, de-shelled
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb cippolini onions, peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp cumin (or more to taste)
1 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
salt, to taste
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup apricots, halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved

To Serve:
1-2 cups quinoa, prepared according to package directions
6 oz Greek yogurt (optional-omit for vegan)
2 Tbsp chopped mint

1. Blanch the carrots in boiling salted water for 45 seconds. Shock in ice water. Separately blanch the rabe just until wilted and the peas until they float.
2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and carrots, cooking for 2 minutes longer.
3. Stir in tomatoes, spices, honey and apricots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes (or until flavors meld).
4. Just before serving stir in the rabe, peas and olives. Heat through and readjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve with warm couscous, yogurt and mint.

This meal was super tasty (and by that I mean I shamelessly went back for seconds and thirds). One tip-make the couscous with vegetable stock for extra flavor. This week, I also tried my hand at making marmalade, with great success. I made Cherry and Lemon-Thyme Marmalade, which I will be incorporating into the dinner I'm making Sunday evening. Also, the lemon-thyme from the marmalade and the rhubarb from the Rhubarb Festival have inspired me to make a scrumptious dessert to finish the meal. Me-a dessert?? It's been ages, I know! Get ready, get set. It's going to be a sweet and bumpy ride!