Dinner recipe: Gruel Salad

When a house our size has bulk amounts of at least six kinds of bean, I’ve got two hours to make dinner, it is sometimes difficult to justify making food that requires buying fresh ingredients:  “Cauliflower? Plantains? But the lentils and black-eyed peas are right here!”

(Of course, the tables will turn come harvest season!)

If a house goes on like this, without taking care to coordinate what is cooked, weeks’ worth of dinners may lack the expected textural and stylistic range as we spoon gruel from a bowl for the umpteenth time.

Now, I’m mostly a recipe person. I delight in following directions down to the letter for the promise of surprisingly perfect food (provided no one gets hurt).  I think I got this from my mother (Hi Mom!).  Nevertheless, occasionally I indulge in improvisation.  This one began with an oath to make “gruel salad”, a joke that became reality.  It was “one of those evenings.”

Cut celery, scallions, and asparagus into 3-inch chunks.  Braise in medium saucepan with a little oil and a little more water.  Add sliced mushrooms and broccoli.  Pepper half-heartedly. Add half a cup of wheat flour and enough water to keep everything from sticking to the bottom.  Overcook until gooey.  Serve atop whole leaves of lettuce, carrots, and pear, with a vinaigrette dressing.