Humor me…
I was cleaning out the refrigerator. Grabbing various lettuce, radicchio, endive… Wait a minute! Let’s back this up.
There, on the top left shelf, behind the pint of shishito peppers, a container of baby Brussel sprouts, purple no less. That’s what got me going. That was the initial inspiration.
Trimming their little butts, a rinse under the faucet, they found their way into a small skillet with olive oil, low heat. I added a splatter guard and moved on. Back in the fridge I rummaged around for more, piecing together ideas from found objects. Little Red Gem lettuce, a small head of Castelfranco radicchio, an endive - all these would become the salad base, the foundation of the dish; the soft landing.
But there’s more to the story. With Brussels sprouts sizzling, I needed to move fast. What else? An errant yellow squash, cozied up next to a leaner looking zucchini caught my eye. The plot thickens. Quick! Add water to the double boiler, get it on the heat. Checking the sprouts, tossing and turning a bit, definitely want crispy without charring.
Lid over the steaming squash, I remember a bag in the freezer. Plantidote patties, have you experienced them? Yes, there in the bottom drawer, yes, these (you must try) would round out the lunch and lie there, center, surrounded by the green and yellow rounds of squash, that is, after a pan dance in a hot skillet. A 4 minute browning on each side, adding a bit of oil on the flip.
I don’t want to fail to mention that early on into the fry phase, I noticed some baby sweet peppers on the fridge shelf. I quickly cut them in half and added to the sides of the pan with the Plantidote patty. It’s all in the timing.
Come back soon for details. Recipe details.
And thanks for humoring me.