Celebrate Late Summer with a Moroccan Mixed Grill

Recently we were fortunate enough to have our good friend Carol over for dinner.  I really wanted to try my hand at a tagine – the Moroccan-style slow-cooked stew in its namesake earthenware vessel with a conical top – but the idea of running the stove for multiple hours in 85 degree (plus) weather was less than appealing. 

So, I decided to use the same spices and ingredients, but turn it into a Moroccan grill… much more fitting for a beautiful summer evening.  I grilled all the veggies off in batches first, and tented them with tinfoil to rest.  Then I cleaned the grill and grilled the nectarines, which take mere moments, and while they rested and cooled off a touch, prepared the greens and rest of the salad fixings.  That way we could enjoy two separate courses with wine and no rushing off to cook the next one.

We started with cool salads of grilled nectarines and creamy goat cheese paired with a beautiful champagne, and followed with grilled, marinated veggies served family style so everyone could pick and choose, along with stewed black chickpeas.  These little gems were a revelation of nuttiness and texture, plus they pack a load of antioxidants in that rich outer skin.  They don’t take nearly as long as beans to cook from dried – about 2 hours all told (so I did have the stove going after all!  But I did leave to do some errands, so I think it worked out in the end).  But that time could be reduced substantially if someone had remembered to get them soaking the night before; then, according to the Timeless Food website, only 30 minutes to cook.  All told it was a wonderful accompaniment to time spent with dear ones on the patio.

Menu

Summer Salad with Grilled Nectarines and Goat Cheese

Blackberry, Balsamic & Pink Pepper Vinaigrette

Served with Mumm Napa Cuvee M
*recipe here*

Grilled Tagine-esque Vegetables with Stewed Black Chickpeas and Chermoula

Served with Maryhill Viognier
*recipe here*

Accompaniments

Castelvetrano & Cerignola olives

Sweet Harissa

(Recipes are posted separately)

Where to find it:

·         Pink Peppercorn (aka Pink Schinus; not a true peppercorn but fruit from the Brazillian peppertree Schinus terebrinthifolus)

o   Locally: Foster & Dobbs, maybe other specialty groceries or ethnic market?

o   Online: Numerous purveyors including Mountain Rose Herbs, based in Eugene, OR

·         Black chickpeas

o   Locally: Foster & Dobbs; possibly other specialty shops and/or New Seasons?

o   Online: Timeless Food, which also has information about other fun legumes and grains – they make a great line of lentils too – along with recipes at www.timelessfood.com

·         Harissa (I used Mustapha’s Moroccan Brand)

o   Locally: New Seasons, Pastaworks, and other such grocers

·         Castelvetrano & Cerignola Olives

o   Locally: In bulk at New Seasons, Foster & Dobbs, Alberta St Co-op, and the like