This roasted veggie dish is pretty simple – cauliflower and carrots tossed in olive oil, quick cooking freekeh (my favorite grain of the moment), and your classic, run of the mill Raisin-Caper Chimichurri. Hold up! What in the world is Raisin-Caper Chimichurri?! Well, stop yelling at the screen and I’ll tell you. Sheesh. My first introduction to the savory and sweet combo of raisins and capers was this past summer at a restaurant in London called The Clove Club. The hubs and I were partaking in their tasting menu – veggie version for me – and one of the dishes had the best. sauce. ever. I had to restrain myself from licking the plate clean of every last bit of that delectable concoction. Since the makeup of the sauce hadn’t been listed on the menu, I was able to ascertain the basic ingredients from the chef, raisins and capers. The end. So helpful those Brits are. Ever since then, I’ve had “raisins and capers” tucked away in the recesses of the ol’ noggin until I felt ready to tackle my own version.
My first try was a basic raisin and caper vinaigrette – red wine vinegar, and olive oil blended together with plump raisins and salty capers. The result was good but too sweet for my taste and definitely not plate licking inducing. After seeing a raisin caper salsa verde online, I was inspired to mesh the flavors of a classic chimichurri with the raisin caper combo. Success! This chimichurri is drool worthy with just the right balance of sweetness from the raisins and salty, spicy goodness from the capers and trio of herbs – cilantro, parsley, and chives. I’ve been serving it over freekeh and basic roasted cauliflower and carrots but it would be great over a soft cheese like brie – if that’s your thing – or even as a dip for crackers or pita chips.
If you’ve yet to give freekeh a try, I highly recommend switching it out wherever you use rice or even quinoa. (Keep in mind, it’s not gluten free.) It has a wonderfully nutty taste and a hearty chew factor. It does, however, have an extremely strong smell, like barnyard hay. It’s quite pungent. For reals, prepare yourself. I rinse mine once before cooking and then again when it’s done simmering. The smell is gone and all that’s left is fabulously flavorful freekeh.
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets (roughly two pounds)
- 1 pound young carrots
- 1 cup cracked freekeh
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup salted button capers, drained
- ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup chives, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss carrots and cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 - 35 minutes.
- To prepare freekeh, first rinse under cold water and drain. Combine in a saucepan with 2 cups water and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Allow to simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Once cooked, drain and rinse again under cold water.
- Plate freekeh and vegetables and drizzle with chimichurri.
- Pour boiling water over raisins and leave for 1 hour to rehydrate. Drain raisins and combine with remaining ingredients through white wine vinegar in a food processor. With the processor running, slowly pour in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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