Vegetable Brochettes with Marinated Tofu

June 28, 2007

OK, you asked for it, Icarus! Like I said, I made this for years and

years on the 4th of July. (I haven't made it in at least 8 years,

though. I don't have a grill anymore....)

VEGETABLE BROCHETTES WITH MARINATED TOFU

from the Greens cookbook by Deborah Madison

Brochette Marinade (see below)

16 medium mushrooms

1 green bell pepper, or pepper of any color, cut into squares or wedges

8 cherry tomatoes

16 boiling onions, parboiled and peeled

Choose two or three of the following:

Zucchini and yellow squash, cut into rounds

Sweet corn, sliced through the cob into 1/2-inch rounds

Winter squash, cut into 1-inch cubes

Small new potatoes, or yams, cut into rounds

Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch rounds (one of my favorites)

Fennel, thickly sliced

16 to 24 ounce Marinated Tofu (see below), cut into 1-inch cubes

8 bay leaves

Salt

Pepper

Prepare the brochette marinade and set aside.

Clean and trim the vegetables. If boiling onions are not available,

use 2 or 3 red or yellow onions, cut into wide wedges, the root ends

left intact. Some of the vegetables need to be parboiled.: 2 to 3

minutes for the corn; 6 to 8 minutes for the winter squash; 10 to 12

minutes for the potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes. Cook the vegetables

until they rae done but still firm enough not to fall off the skewers,

keeping in mind that they will cook about 10 minutes over the coals.

Toss the eggplant slices in oil.

Gather all the vegetables and the tofu. Plan to place a mushroom on

either end (they work well as an anchor for the rest of the vegetables);

then skewer an assortment of vegetables and th etofu, including the bay

leaves, to make a colorful, attractive brochette. Put the finished

brochettes on a baking sheet, and brush them generously with the

brochette marinade, turning them so that all sides are well coated.

Grill the brochettes 6 to 8 inches over the coals, turning every few

minutes to expose all the surfaces to the heat. When the vegetables are

nicely browned and hot, after 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the heat of

the fire, remove them to a serving platter. Brush them with extra

marinade, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Brochette Marinade

2 tblsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tblsp Dijon mustard

1 tblsp herbs: parsley, thyme, marjoram, finely chopped

3/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Mix the vinegar with the garlic, mustard, and herbs. Whisk in the oil,

and season with salt and pepper.

Makes eight 10-inch brochettes; serves four.

MARINATED TOFU

Tofu, bland by nature, is given character with this strong marinade.

Prepared in this fashion, the tofu is used in the Vegetable Brochettes

and the Grilled Tofu Sandwich. Use firm (Chinese-style) tofu, rather

than the soft or regular tofu, because it can be easily handled without

breaking. The tofu tastes best if it has been marinated for several

days, and should be marinated at least one full day before using.

1 or 2 packages firm tofu, 14 to 18 ounces each

1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms, porchini or shiitake

1 cup water

2 tsp dried oregano or marjoram

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup tamari soy sauce

4 cloves

1/2 tsp salt

Several twists black pepper

Cut the tofu into slabs 1-inch thick -- firm tofu often comes in pieces

that size -- and drain them. Set them on a bread board or the back of a

baking sheet and raise one end; point the lower end toward the sink to

let the water drain off. Cover the tofu with another tray and weight it

down with something heavy, such as a few cans of tomatoes. Let the tofu

drain for about 1/2 hour. This will remove excess water and allow the

marinade to penetrate without being diluted.

While the tofu is draining, prepare the marinade. Simmer the

mushrooms in the water for 15 minutes. Heat a small heavy skillet and

toast the oregano or marjoram slowly until it is fragrant. Add the

oregano and the remaining ingredients to the pot with the mushrooms,

bring to a boil, and simmer slowly a few minutes more.

Remove the tofu from the draining board and arrange it in a single

layer in a square or rectangular non-corrosive pan. Strain the marinade

through a coffee filter or paper towel and pour it over the tofu. Cover

with plastic or a lid and refrigerate at least one day, preferably longer.

The tofu can marinate 4 to 5 days. The marinade can be boiled,

strained, and reused, if the tofu was well drained.

Makes 2 1/2 cups marinade (enough for 2 packages tofu)

June 28, 2007

I am just going to skip the tofu since I don't do soy and enjoy the rest of it.l

Do I have to wait for the 4th of July?

Katie

Sharon Zakhour <sharon.zakhour wrote: