Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

On Monday I mentioned that I had gotten myself into a bit of a sticky wicket by offering to run the kitchen while my wife hosted a business retreat. News that we’d have both gluten-free and vegan dietary restrictions gave me serious agita, as I am not well-schooled in cooking for non-meat-based diets.

With a little research and some creative thinking, though, I managed to pull it off. Cooking double-purpose menus meant that I overdid it a little on the quantities, but hey, leftovers, right?

Breakfasts were easy, as this was not a “hot breakfast” group. Fresh fruits, granola, and assorted breads and jams were plenty, especially with the massive musk melons I found at the market. Almond milk was available as a substitute.

Lunches were similarly easy. Fruits, cold cuts, cheeses, breads, sliced veg, and a big batch of tabbouleh salad did the trick there.

Dinners were more of a challenge, as I definitely needed non-meat and non-gluten options. Let’s just say that I got better as it went along.

I learned a lot about ingredients that were new to me (e.g., Forbidden Rice, beans in general) but took pride in getting everything to table at the same time (even on Day Three, when dinner had to be an hour earlier than planned).

I also learned, that working a day job plus cooking/cleaning from 5:30AM to about 9PM is really tiring. Cooking a big meal one day is easy, but back-to-back cooking/cleaning for three meals each day for three days straight took a bit out of this nearly-60-year-old. As it was, I learned some efficiency-lessons and honed my planning skills. And, of course, folks going back for seconds was the highest compliment I could hope to have.

And now I won’t have to cook for the next four days.

Because, leftovers.

Dinner menus listed below.

k

Day One

• Homemade hummus with corn tortilla chips
• Homemade tabbouleh salad
• Mediterranean green salad with Sicilian & Kalamata olives (crumbled feta on the side)
• Stone fruit salad with mimosa honey and sea salt
• Sourdough bruschetta with Provençal herbs
• Pinot Grigio

Day Two

• Three-bean salad with locally-grown cucumbers and tomatoes in a red onion and balsamic dressing
• Sake-marinated rock hens, pan-seared and roasted with rosemary, lavender, and thyme
• Fresh green salad
• Roasted root veg and broccoli
• Zucchini salad in a sherry-wine vinaigrette
• Tricolor quinoa with shallots and grilled shiitake mushrooms
• Sauvignon blanc

Day Three

• Build-your-own soft tacos (corn or flour tortillas)
  • Crumbled cheese
  • Shredded buttercrunch lettuce
  • Minced shallots
  • Cilantro
  • Slivered tomatoes
  • Vegan refritos
  • Grilled ground turkey in salsa verde
• Forbidden rice with fresh-cut corn and slow-roasted pepper
• Grilled crimini mushrooms in cumin/chipotle-laced wine reduction
• Pinot grigio