in other words: I had a salad in the café of the Tate Modern, and liked it so much that I wanted to eat it again. so when I got home, I made it.
I've never understood the big to-do about the idea that nothing is original and that everything has been done before. it seems there is this misplaced air of cool surrounding it, the cool of being (post)modern enough to face the harsh truth in the eye. I just think it's a little bit silly (and to be completely honest, a way out of actually looking things in the eye).
I made the salad, and celebrated it. not my so-called thievery, but the salad itself. since then, it has become a regular.
every time I make this, I am reminded of that afternoon in the Tate gallery. and of making it myself for the first time, how easy it felt, like it was a dish that I had been making all my life. it's where you take things from. and where you take them to.
couscous with roast pumpkin, carrots and mango
thanks, Tate!
peel and cut one pumpkin and a few carrots into little chunks (about 2 square centimeter - but don't get your ruler out or anything). use about 4 or 5 carrots... it really depends on how hungry you are, and what size the carrots are. I think you can go on your instincts here. put them in a baking tray, sprinkle over some olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them in an oven of 200 degrees celsius for about an hour, until they are roasted golden. check every now and again how it's going - how fast the pumpkin and carrots will roast can vary quite dramatically, depending on their texture. it also, of course, depends on your taste when done is Done. when you think they'll need about 15 minutes more, start preparing the rest of the ingredients. you can also just turn the oven off when you find the vegetables to be nicely roasted and haven't started the other ingredients yet.
prepare the couscous - put 75 gr. per person in a bowl, and cover with 150 ml. boiling water per 75 gr. couscous. then cover the bowl, and let it steam for about 10 minutes. I can highly recommend using organic whole wheat couscous, by the way. it sounds stodgy, but it adds a wonderful flavor.
meanwhile, peel a mango and cut it up in chunks, about the same size as your carrots and pumpkin. do this over the serving bowl, so as not to lose any of the lovely juices.
fluff up the couscous with a fork. add it to the mango, and also add the roasted vegetables, 75 gr. roasted cashews, and a handful of roughly chopped up coriander. check for seasoning, but in my experience, the salt from the cashews (I tend to use salted ones) is enough.
sprinkle over some olive oil to finish. if you have a lemon lounging about, squeeze in some lemon juice.
(as you see in the picture above - we didn't have any coriander in the house when I made this last week. I served some basil alongside, and the combination was actually quite good!)
we ate it with some organic chipolatas, and it's also lovely with meatballs. for a vegetarian meal, you could maybe serve some goat's cheese alongside. maybe even one of those baked goat's cheese thingies? some quite savory flavors go well with this couscousdish. oh - and it might also be good with a different nut, like pistachios.
- anne
jim jarmusch quote from nogoodforme.com (which might be my favorite blog in the whole entire world). by the way, don't mean to be a jim jarmusch hater! I do like his movies!