Buddha Grain Bowl with Green Goddess Dressing
Buddha Grain Bowl with Green Goddess Dressing
Serves 4. Makes about 2 cups dressing.
For the grain bowl:
1 pound broccoli florets (about 10 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
2 cups farro or wheat berries
2 to 3 Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados
4 cups sliced cabbage, kale, spinach or romaine leaves (from a head or bunch)
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) (optional)
For the green goddess dressing:
4 loosely packed cups tender herb leaves ((such as dill, parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, tarragon - a mixture is nice, from about 4 small (or 2 large) bunches herbs))
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 small garlic clove
Kosher salt
1 lemon, zest and juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss broccoli with oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with several large pinches of salt, and a few turns of a pepper mill. Roast until charred and tender, about 20 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan halfway with cold water and bring it to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water, and let boil gently (they should dance
around, not bang), for 8 1/2 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool (keep the cooking water boiling). Pull the eggs from the cold water and crack them on the counter top, then gently roll them with your palms to really crack the shells throughout. Slip them back into the ice water. Once cool, peel the eggs.
3. Add more cold water to the pot of boiling water to make it 2/3 full, and bring it back to a boil. Add a few large pinches of salt to the water. Add the farro or wheat berries, and gently boil until al dente (like pasta), about 35 to 45 minutes. Drain from the water, and let cool slightly in a large bowl.
4. Make the dressing: Combine the herbs, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, olive oil, capers, garlic, and two big pinches kosher salt in a blender. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon into the blender, and then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Blend on low speed to mix everything up. Then blend on medium-high speed until bright green and speckled with small pieces of herbs. Taste the dressing and season with black pepper and more salt or lemon juice, as needed.
5. Toss the cooked farro or wheat berries with 1/2 cup of the dressing, and few large pinches of salt. Taste and add more dressing, salt and pepper, as needed. Divide among serving bowls.
6. Slice the eggs in half. Halve the avocados lengthwise, remove the pits, and cut into thin slices. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado flesh from the shell. Spread the slices out and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
7. Two ways to assemble the bowl: either lay all the toppings out, and let each diner build their bowl. Or place 2 egg halves, a few slices of avocado, cucumber and broccoli, and some cabbage, kale or greens over each bowl of grains. Dress the vegetables with some Green Goddess dressing. If you choose, top with pepitas. Serve remaining dressing alongside for drizzling. Buddha bowl loosely adapted from Epicurious.com; Green Goddess dressing adapted from the New York Times.
