Over Stock Simmered and Seasoned Farro

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large poblano peppers, halved and seeded with stems still on
½ C tomato sauce
½ lb lean ground beef
2 small cloves of garlic chopped finely
5-6 heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 medium sized carrot diced
2 T chopped white sweet onion
2 T oil
1 t good cumin powder
½ t cayenne pepper
¼ t allspice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rub 1 T olive oil all over poblanos and season generously with salt and pepper. Place in a small baking dish so that the peppers are about 2 inches apart. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until done and there is slight blistering.
• Heat a saucepan and add about 1 T oil. Add the carrots, onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the hamburger to the veggie mixture and cook until done. Add the tomato sauce and seasonings and mix well. Heat through. Taste again and add salt and pepper as needed. Ladle ¼ of the beef mixture into each of the poblano halves and put back in oven for about 5 minutes to heat all the way through. Serve with a generous garnish of cilantro, over farro cooked with chicken stock and seasoned with your favorite multi-spice seasoning*. Farro takes about 30 minutes to cook so adjust your preparation time accordingly)
• (* I used Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute: https://www.ebay.com/p/Trader-Joes-21-Seasoning-Salute-Blend-2-2oz/691174114?iid=222830611203&chn=ps )

The addition of rosemary and preserved lemon make these rock star appetizers!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 medium sized slender zucchini of uniform width and at least 6 inches long, halved and seeds scraped out
1/3 C mayonnaise
Enough cooked spinach to make 1/3 C that is densely packed, and ALL water squeezed out (I wrap it in paper towels twice and squeeze with my hand. It MUST be dry)
1/3 C grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 heaping T white sweet onion diced small
½ t good paprika
½ t kosher salt
¼ t cracked black pepper
1 T thinly sliced preserved lemon rinds
8 large prosciutto slices
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 T olive oil

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rub the olive oil all over the zucchini halves using hands. Not soaking but covered. Lay them on a foil lined baking sheet. In a bowl combine the rest of the ingredients except for the prosciutto slices and rosemary. Stuffing mixture should be thick. Add more mayo or spinach as desired. Divide the stuffing evenly and press into the 8 halves. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper if desired. Wrap each half with the prosciutto and bring it around tightly to seal by pressing the meat together. It should stick. Lay rosemary sprigs over and then roast for 20 minutes. Remove and eat!
• Note: I use a grapefruit spoon to scrape out the seeds of the zucchini and create an area about ½ inch deep. Doesn’t have to be very deep. You do want most of the zucchini flesh.
• Make preserved lemons. It is easy! I use Ina Garten’s recipe here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/preserved-lemons-recipe-2012376