Recipes For Monday, November 4th Cooking Class with Chef Shelley Wiseman

Explore seasonal vegetables, especially root vegetables like turnips, which enhance flavor and support sustainable eating with local ingredients. We’ll prepare a delicious couscous dish with harissa paste, whether homemade or store-bought. Turnips can be roasted, mashed, or added to the couscous for improved texture and flavor. Join us to transform humble ingredients into a hearty meal that showcases our commitment to food justice and inclusivity. Let’s come together to share knowledge, build community, and enjoy the nourishment of seasonal cooking!

Seven Vegetable Couscous

The dish will please vegetarians and meat eaters alike. The harissa stirred into the broth and drizzled over the

vegetables adds an agreeable kick.

Serves 8

For vegetables

4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

3 cups water

3 cups cubed (1 inch) butternut squash

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices

2 small onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch wedges

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

½ head cauliflower, leaves removed and cut into large florets

2 medium purple top turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1 inch rounds

1 medium yellow zucchini, sliced into 1 inch rounds

1 cup cooked chickpeas

For couscous

2 cups couscous

2 ¼ cups water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

Coarse salt

For harissa

1 to 2 tablespoons harissa, or to taste

Cook vegetables:

Gently heat the butter or oil in a large heavy pot. Add the turmeric, cinnamon stick and 3 cups of water and

bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the longest cooking vegetables: butternut squash, carrots, and

onions and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cover and steam for 8 minutes. Add the

cauliflower, turnips, green and yellow zucchini and the chick peas. and cook until all vegetables are tender,

about 5 minutes more.

Cook couscous while vegetables are steaming:

Put couscous in a large heatproof bowl. In a 2 quart pot, bring water to a boil with butter, turmeric, cinnamon,

and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring until butter is melted. Pour boiling mixture over couscous then cover bowl with a lid

or plastic wrap and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff couscous with a fork.

Arrange couscous around the sides of a large oval platter leaving the center for the vegetables. Spoon the

vegetables into a mound in the center of the couscous. Strain the juices into a bowl. Put a ladle in the juices

and stir a spoonful of the HARISSA into the ladle and pour over the vegetables. Pass the remaining juices and

harissa so guests can season their own portions to their liking.