Sweet and Savory Winter Bowl

Sometimes, you just need a yummy, comforting bowl of food that doesn’t take a five star chef to prepare.  If you’ve had one of those days or weeks, this one is for you.

Over the holidays last year, my dad ended up in the hospital for a few days.  Fortunately, it was nothing serious, and he is doing fine now. This is the first time he has been in a hospital since he was a kid though, and it was not a pleasant experience…for anyone involved.

First of all, there was the disruption to his schedule.  My dad eats breakfast at the same time every day, lunch at the same time and dinner at the same time.  Unfortunately, the hospital was not sticking to the schedule, which is apparently carved in stone much like the 10 Commandments.  Thou shalt not eat lunch later than 12:30.

So by the time lunch arrived the first day around 1:30, his mood was uglier than a volcano about to erupt.   The poor guy that delivered it almost had his hand removed…at the elbow.  I’ve seen lions on safari take down their prey with less speed and ferocity. It did not go any better at dinner, and I’m pretty sure the staff were drawing straws to see who had to drop off his tray.

Then there was the fact that they had him hooked up to all kinds of machines and IVs.  Years of being a stomach sleeper did not pair well with all the equipment, and the nursing staff was kept busy rushing into the room thinking he was coding when all he was doing was rolling over….and ripping out every single device. Thou shalt not sleep on thy back.  Ever. At one point, he managed to pull out the IV and his sheets looked like a crime scene.  They basically had to go for the heavy duty duct tape with enough gauze bandages to mummify a dozen pharaohs.

Let’s just say that by the second night, if the doctors hadn’t given him something to help him relax and sleep, there was a bottle of fireball and a straw behind the nurses station with his name on it.

Also by day two, he had decided that he was ready to leave, and there was nothing wrong with him.  To that end, every time he had to use the bathroom, he got out of bed, unplugged himself from all the equipment and gave us all anxiety attacks by insisting that he was not a fall risk despite what the bracelet on his arm said.

There was no warning that he was going to do this or time to call someone to properly unhook him.  He would just spring up like a jack in the box and be off to the races, leaving a wall of screaming and beeping equipment behind him.

By the time he was discharged, I’m pretty sure the hospital staff were all exhausted and yet doing their happy dance that he was now someone else’s problem.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 cups brussel sprouts (cut in half)
• 8 cloves garlic (approximately 1 head)
• 1  1/2 cups red grapes (NOT red table grapes)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 Tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1 Tablespoon fresh minced sage
• 1/2 cup farro (rinsed)
• 1  1/2 cups vegetable stock

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400
2. Toss the cauliflower, sprouts and garlic with the rosemary and red pepper in the 2 Tablespoons of oil.  Put on a lined baking sheet (I use a silpat).  Toss the grapes with the 1 teaspoon of oil and add to the baking sheet.
3. Put the pan in the oven for 15 minutes, stir the veggies and grapes and put in for 15 more.  You want the veggies tender but not mushy and the grapes should be shriveling and bursting a bit.
4. Meanwhile, saute the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes till it is slightly softened.  Add the sage, faro and stock.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down to simmer for 40 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste to the farro, put it in a bowl, and top with the cauliflower, sprouts, garlic and grapes.

Enjoy!