Late Summer Freekeh With Soy Beans Peppers And Eggplant Recipes

EGGPLANT STRING BEAN STIR-FRY

Steps:

• In a flat bottomed frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and shallow fry the green beans. Roll the beans around slowly until they start to look wrinkly and slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove them to a plate and set aside.
• Using the remaining oil in the pan, do the same procedure with the eggplant using slightly higher heat. It's done once the edges turn slightly browned, and the eggplant is tender. Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside along with the green beans.
• Add one tablespoon of the leftover oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and red chili, and cook for a minute. Mix in the green beans and eggplant, and then the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and white pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, and serve.

JAPANESE EGGPLANT WITH SICHUAN PEPPER

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant into 1 to 2-inch segments, depending on the width of the eggplant. Set up a steamer on the stovetop. Season the segments with salt. Place the eggplant in the steamer in a single layer and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Cool on paper towels.
• For the vinaigrette, trim the garlic cloves and mash gently with the side of your knife, then finely chop the garlic. Peel and chop the ginger root.
• Trim and slice the scallion on a bias. Save the white part for the vinaigrette and the green part for a finishing garnish. Keep the greens fresh by covering them with a moist, cool paper towel. Chop the cilantro.
• To assemble the vinaigrette, put the three oils and the Sichuan peppercorns in a small pot set over low heat. Heat until sizzling, then strain out the peppercorns. Discard the peppercorns and put the oil back into the pot. Add the garlic and ginger and heat until sizzling but not browned. Add the scallion whites and Sichuan bean paste and stir. Add the black vinegar, soy, mirin, wine, sugar, sesame seeds and cilantro and bring to a boil.
• Transfer the vinaigrette to a bowl and cool. Put the eggplant in a serving dish and season with the cooled sauce (depending on eggplant size, you may not need all the sauce-the sauce keeps for a week refrigerated) and sprinkle with the scallion greens. Finish with freshly ground black pepper, if you'd like a little more peppercorn flavor.

SPICED PEPPERS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, and saffron, if using; cook, stirring often, until garlic is softened, about 4 minutes. Add sweet peppers and eggplants; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Just before serving, add basil and toss to combine.
• DO AHEAD: Vegetables can be cooked 4 days ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before adding basil and serving.

FREEKEH AND FRISéE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan of boiling water, blanch the green beans until just tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool, then drain and set aside in the refrigerator.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, then whisk in the oil until emulsified. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/8-inch-wide (3-mm-wide) strips and add to the dressing; if the tomatoes were not packed in oil, set them aside to soften in the dressing for at least 15 minutes.
• Spread the frisée and parsley on a large serving platter. Make piles of the olives, freekeh, tuna, eggs, and beans; with a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes from the dressing to a pile in the frisée and drizzle everything with the dressing. Serve immediately.