Very Vegetable-ly.

This afternoon I spent some quality time in Walmart.  Now, now now.  The Walmart near our apartment is also a grocery store and prices on grocery staples are amazing when compared to my beloved Hannaford.  I was able to stock up on a few pantry items (beans, tuna, canned tomatoes, canned salmon) as well as my normal Stonyfield Farm Skim Milk, and Stonyfield Farm Fat Free French Vanilla yogurt.  I was also able to buy 3 new boxes of cereal – which I’m sure you will see over the next few days.  All of this was WAY cheaper then the grocery store.  I don’t shop at Walmart too often, but when I do, I do a big shopping. 

After going to Walmart, I unloaded the 4 bags of groceries, and headed out to the Farmer’s Market.  It is getting bigger and bigger every week!

Matt and I stocked up on lots of goods including lettuce, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, onions, yellow plums, corn, a tomato, wheatberry salad, a lemon square and chocolate chip cookie.  I put everything away and forgot to take a picture – sorry!

The other day, while reading Elina’s blog, I saw her make Eggplant Stew over Couscous and immediately wanted to try it.  At the Farmer’s Market today, I picked up all the veggies (minus the peppers which I got at Walmart).

Matt and I got to washing, chopping and dicing.  We used one of my favorite appliances again – the Mandolin – to slice the eggplant and zucchini. 

I didn’t read misread the recipe and instead of slicing the peppers, I diced them.  We also used a lot more eggplant then the recipe called for – it was recommended in the comments.

The veggies cooking on the stove top. 

The eggplant after cooking in the microwave – we were both surprised at how much the eggplant reduced!

All together with the spices, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce

MMM…

Finished product

I cooked up some whole wheat couscous and then served with a little feta cheese

I absolutely loved this meal.  A great meal if you have a garden and have lots of eggplant and zucchini.  I love the veggies and it wasn’t too heavy – a perfect summer meal.  Matt, not the biggest veggie lover, said this was “Not bad considering all the vegetables in it.”  He also remarked that he wouldn’t necessarily request this dish, but would eat it again.  That to me is a success!  This recipe made tons so you will be seeing it a lot in the next few days. 

Matt was in charge of the zucchini and eggplant and while cleaning up, he realized there was another eggplant that I had peeled but he didn’t slice.  The eggplant for the Stew was already done cooking in the microwave.  Not knowing what to do with it, we decided to slice it into disks and roast them on the pizza stone (after the suggestion by Jen a few weeks ago).  We put a little olive oil on the stone, and put it in the oven to heat.  In the mean time, Matt salted the eggplant and we let it rest on a dishtowel.  After a few minutes, he rinsed the eggplant and squeezed the liquid out. 

On the stone they went.

Our pizza stone is well loved as you can tell. 

When these were done, they were delicious.  Very salty but delicious.  Thank you for the suggestion Jen – I will never roast veggies on a baking sheet again!

On to dessert…Matt and I picked up a Chocolate Chip cookie (probably one of my favorite things on the entire planet) and a Lemon Square from Flour Girls Bakery (they had a tent at the Farmer’s Market).  

I am not much of a lemon square kinda gal but this lemon square was not bad.  The cookie, although had a great texture (soft and chewy), was very salty – like they used salted butter AND salt.  I did eat the entire thing but I do think the Raspberry Oat square I got last time was much better. 

Tomorrow I have some more errands and some cooking to do.  I may have to take Matt to the eye doctor as well – his eyes are watering so much he can barely see.  I have no idea what is wrong with the two of us and our eyes.  Hopefully the eye doctor can figure it out.

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