Adventures On My Bike – Day 10/28

Today’s recipe: Roasted eggplant inspired ‘what’s in the fridge bowl’.

As a kid I was always moving my furniture around. I never asked of course, my parents would have said no! I just heaved it around by myself with my door closed, sometimes trying a variety of new arrangements. As a homebody (when I’m not travelling) my nest is my sanctuary. A sanctuary that reflects my love of family, creativity, food and travel. One that every now and then I like adjusting when the feel and the aesthetic doesn’t match those loves. I’m still that kid, I close the door and start shifting things around on my own.

I guess I could follow a food plan for this movement inspired adventure but that’s not really me. I like to find my own way … making it up and changing it as I go. I do take inspiration from people of course and I’ve followed programs before but this is a story about more than simply cooking. It’s a story about creating a connection with food and the community I live in. And I have enough knowledge and resources to get going on my own.

On Wednesday I bought my eggs from a farmher at the market. I asked her about her farm and she explained they call themselves ‘Het eigenwijze ei’. She explained that eigenwijze means they do it their way, it has a connotation of stubbornness and being head strong. For them that means no antibiotics, free range and no labels or affiliations, they sell at markets. Familiar? Yeah that’s me! Doing things my eigenwijze. I find things are more sustainable and suited to my life when I find my own way. It also fuels my need to create stories that give meaning to how I move through my days.

I chose the eggplants I roasted yesterday because they are in season. Market produce is a wonderful reminder of the season. I also happen to love eggplant, I ate it every day in Italy. If you order a side of veggies in Italy you’ll always get a plate of grilled seasonal veg. Generally eggplant, capsicum and zucchini. It may seem an odd way to shop, to find an ingredient first, but I enjoy building a meal around a taste or veggie I’m hankering for. Initially I thought I’d roast it in cubes as I always do but then I googled and found a different way to roast it. A way that utilized the ingredients I already had.

As with all things in life simpler works better for me. Basic maths that starts with creating time, knowing my values and working within my capacity. There’s no point starting with algebra. Sometimes I find cooking can become a bit like algebra. Too many new ingredients and rules … it’s not sustainable for me to start with everything new. I’m better building on what I know or have, gently.

Just like moving my room around when I was a kid it’s still easier to move around what I’ve got and then add slowly to that.

Eggplant inspired ‘what’s in the fridge bowl’

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a roasted eggplant from yesterday
• Left over zucchini noodles
• Chopped pickled beetroot (fridge staple)
• Fried haloumi
• 1 egg
• Pumpkin seeds
• Lambs ear lettuce
• Avocado
• Dressing: tahini paste, sesame oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Basically I started with the eggplant in the middle and then poked around the fridge to see what was in there adding what I found.

Nothing happens overnight does it! And connection can’t be rushed, sure it can take some extra effort but we shouldn’t have to push too hard. My door is closed as I take my space to sort my sanctuary but also – it’s open to finding what I need. A little addition here, a little subtraction there. Basic maths.

Buen camino,