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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

purple pepper bento

Hi bento pals! Today's lunch was a vegetarian affair including a wild rice pilaf cooked with my fave Russian mushroom bouillon, plus pistachios and green peas for balanced protein (and more color!).

A cute purple pepper from the farmer's market also inside along with an orange nasturtium bloom and its green, spicy leaves (which I ate) and a rose from my garden (which I did not)...thin slices of golden zucchini and snow pea tops fill the lower section, honey-sweet cantaloupe flowers with blueberries and zingy peppermint are up top.

A friend came by last night with a wonderful and thoughtful summer treat: fresh-picked figs with goat cheese and toasted pecans (thank you Cheryl, you are the best!). Only a couple are left...and will be savored  for dessert tonight!
Some vibrant pink flowers are blooming and re-blooming at the moment...
Including this unexpected revival from a rose bush quiet since May...what a delightful surprise to see this today:

28 comments:

tinyskillet said...

Looks gorgeous! I love the colors! Where do you get the Russian Mushroom bouillon? Ooo the pilaf sounds so good I need your recipe! I love the look of the golden zucchini, and your beautiful flowers seem to go perfect with everything!

Bentobird said...

Hi Lyndsey, how are things? Thanks as always for your happy and encouraging comments!

There's a shop in the area called Russian Gourmet that stocks these wonderful bouillon cubes made with dried mushrooms...I crumble half a cube into one and a half cups of raw rice, then I saute the seasoned rice with sliced onion, add water and chicken stock (and in todays version added pistachios and peas)...this was yum with a dollop of thick Greek yogurt on top w/dinner!

Looking forward to your next culinary creations and hope you are relaxing and enjoying this week before going back to work :D!

Unknown said...

Hi how are ya Jenn? Such a pretty bento! That pilaf sounds insanely yum! I'm craving the combination of fig and goat cheese too, so share some with me please! It is a very treat. :D

tinyskillet said...

Thanks Jenn! Maybe I can find something like that around here! It sounds wonderful...and who doesn't like pistachios?

I'm trying...okay I'm relaxing as much as I can!

Happy Little Bento said...

Wow, those toasted pecans and goat cheese look fantastic! Cutest lil pepper too! Darling bento with wild rice. I'd eat this in a flash!

KidsDreamWork said...

Wow! Love the colour of the bento, and the bento box too! Look so good! :)

tofugirl said...

Fresh picked figs?! Ooh, you're so lucky! That zucchini is an amazing color :D

Paula said...

looks so delicious!

Bentobird said...

Hi Izumi! So nice to "see" you here again. I'd love to share these with you...a healthy but luscious treat! Hope its not as hot and muggy where you are as here at the moment...

Bentobird said...

Hi Lyndsey...some will be on the way via Bento Mail! I know you love grain dishes as much as I do :D

Bentobird said...

Hi sherimiya! Yep, these were a real taste sensation. Do you have a fig tree in your yard...seems to be the "secret" of this particular recipe! Thanks for your lovely comments and have a happy Thursday :D

Bentobird said...

Thanks Ai Ping! Your comments keep me going!

Bentobird said...

Hi Carol! I thought I'd had "fresh" figs before...but these were like little fruit paste confections and so tender...yummm. Congrats on your Explored bento, btw!

Bentobird said...

Hi Paula, thanks for your nice comment visit!...such pretty and interesting photos at your blog :D

Lexi said...

Wow, the mushroom and pistachio sounds like a killer combination - yum yum!

Sonoma Bento said...

Wowee! So vibrant, I just love your photos Jenn! We have been having cooler weather than normal here, so the summer tomatoes and peppers are not quite ready the way they normally would be. I am really jonesing for summer foods!

Bentobird said...

Hi Lexi, thanks for stopping by! We just finished the last of it tonight with some homemade baba ganoush and lots of greek yogurt...yum.

You always have lovely whole grain notions at your blog, will be checking out for ideas :D

Bentobird said...

Hi Sonoma Bento, thanks so much! Wow that is really interesting re summer produce! When do the tomatoes and peppers usually come into their own in your part of CA?

Guess I assumed they were already rolling down the Sonoma streets (vineyards?) with your lovely Med climate :D

Anonymous said...

Hi,great and colourful bento! :o First time visit your blog...& will come in everyday...fanstatic blog. You are so good in photography too, I love all the super nice & pretty photo. Love it..love it...

Lia Chen said...

Fabulous bento! The purple pepper not always available in here. And so expensive too in here. Looking at your bento, always have a feeling like going into the gallery and found a beautiful piece of art :)

Bentobird said...

Hi Emily and welcome, thanks for your warm & kind comments...and now I know about your yummy bento blog :D

Bentobird said...

Hi Lia! Wow, that's an awesome compliment from such a talented bento artist, means a lot to me :D

Wishing you and family a relaxing and fun weekend!

Unknown said...

Those pecans with figs look soooo tempting :)

Bentobird said...

Hi Margot! They were delish, and according to our friend a snap to make :)

Anonymous said...

Oi! I didn't make any bento this week, although I had especially saved some of our dinner's... veggie pilav! With pistachios and peas as well, what a coincidence! (other ingredients were red bell pepper and dried apricot)

I wish I could grow some 'Oostindische kers' (that's how we call that spicy flower in Holland; it could be literally translated into East-Indian Cherry ;) because I like their colour and taste but I live next to a pretty pollutant road :(

Bentobird said...

Hi gnoegnoe, I love it when cooking activities are synchonized in bentoland...happens pretty often, I've noticed! Pilavs are always festive, yum!

megan said...

wow, where to start? those fig-cheese-pecan delicacies look amazing (can cheryl be my friend too?!), i can't believe those vibrant flowers up top are cantaloupe (why is mine always so bland looking!), the golden squash slices down below are also singing with color (i thought at first that they were kumquat), and love the use of the pretty pick with the matching lime box.

JenB said...

Stumbled onto you site and these look like so much fun. Also love your photography. What kind of camera/lens do you use? Thanks!

Jennifer