September 2011

Stir-fry guru Grace Young suggests brown rice for vegetarian stir-fries, and she’s right: the rich nutty flavor and chewy texture make for a very satisfying meal. The trick to successful fried rice, whether you use brown or white rice, is to cook the rice a day ahead and refrigerate. Cold rice will not clump together.

Travel anywhere in the Mediterranean region, and you will find stuffed vegetables. In Provence, they tend to be filled with meat (a way to stretch leftover stews), but in the Middle East and Greece rice and grain fillings prevail. Regional cooks make abundant use of fresh herbs like parsley, dill and mint, and sweet spices like cinnamon and allspice.

This dish is based on a Turkish stuffing for vegetables, a delicate sweet-savory rice mixture seasoned with allspice, cinnamon, parsley, and dill or mint. I decided to use barley instead of rice for a heartier dish. Once stuffed, the vegetables are gently cooked in a mixture of water and oil.

Lemon risottos of any kind always delight guests. The lemon juice and zest are added to this comforting mixture at the end of cooking.