Love and Saffron with Ulu and Deconstructed Kebabs

We at Cook the Books Club are currently reading Love & Saffron, by Kim Fay,  this round hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.  It's sub-titled A Novel of Friendship, Food and Love, and truly is.  A series of letters written between two women who come to know one another well, beyond which it becomes a friendship that deeply affects their lives and those they love.  It was also a reminder of the friendships in my own life, those I communicate with daily.  Particularly a good friend of many years, just recently more closely reconnected with.  We now email back and forth about what we're cooking, planting, research of the various aspects of it all, and food we're experimenting with; occasionally visiting local farmers markets, and sharing meals.  Lately the experimentation has been ways of utilizing breadfruit (ulu), including making flour.  (A post on that to come.)

Ulu with coconut oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and spices, mixed in while hot.

From the Publishers: "This witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine. When twentyseven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter--as well as a gift of saffron--to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she's never tasted fresh garlic--exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. 

As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives. Food and a good life--they can't be separated. It is a discovery the women share, not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen's decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen's friendship--a test that summons their unconditional trust in each other. A brief respite from our chaotic world, Love & Saffron is a gem of a novel, a reminder that food and friendship are the antidote to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating."

There were many tempting dishes mentioned, and I want to try the grilled pork chops credited to Elizabeth David, with fennel - root, leaves and seeds (P. 65-66).  One meal which inspired me into the kitchen (even though it's in a state of deconstruction while new countertops are going in - today hopefully!).  Immy was lamenting her many trips to the big city wasted, eating Dick's burgers when she could have been relishing shish kebab at the Turkish restaurant.  So, that's what I made last night with some boneless lamb sirloin steaks.  Only in my version, deconstructed like my kitchen, the meat was left in largish pieces!  I believe in simplifying when possible.  Also instead of the pita bread side, breadfruit was substituted.  Bob actually loved this version of ulu.  Warm and so flavorful.    

Shish Kebabs - Ingredients

• 6 garlic cloves, crushed

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh mint

• 1 tablespoon fresh tropical oregano, minced

• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

• 1 large red onion, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces

•  oil, for the grill

• Lemon wedges and pita bread, for serving

  
  

  In a large bowl, combine the garlic with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, salt, pepper, mint, and oregano. Add the lamb, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 3 hours.
  
  
  
  

  Light a grill or grill pan. Lightly brush the grate with oil and grill the lamb and vegetables over a medium-hot fire, turning frequently, until the lamb is medium, about 6 minutes, and the vegetables are tender and lightly charred, about 8 minutes. Let the kebabs stand for 2 minutes, then serve. That marinade was soooo flavorful! Just delicious.
  As you will note, I changed out the dried herbs for fresh from the garden, and the bell peppers were eliminated.  But you can vary as you please, and even put on skewers. 

  
  
  This will be linked to Cook the Books as my contribution for this round, also with Weekend Cooking, hosted by the Intrepid Reader and Baker, Marge, and at Heather's Foodies Read Challenge for August.  There is still time (until Sept. 30th) to join in.  Read the book, cook up something inspired by it and post.  And don't forget to link up in the Cook the Books comments.