Locavores rule!

My trip to the downtown Memphis Farmer's Market was a total success. If you haven't visited one of our local markets before let me share some highlights.

Reasons to love the Memphis Farmer's Market:

1. Really nice people who know their stuff when it comes to growing things!
2. Super fresh veggies straight off the vine, bush, plant etc.
3. Good music by local artists
4. Fresh cinnamon rolls from our friends at The Big Ono Bakery to munch on while shopping. (okay not so healthy but they are made from whole grains with no preservatives!)

So on to today's recipe, Grilled Veggies with Romesco Sauce!
WARNING VEGGIE OVERLOAD!

Here's what you need:

Olive oil spray to coat the grill
6 plum tomatoes (about one pound), cored and halved
4 bell peppers, 1 red and the rest red, yellow or orange, cored, seeded and cut into 6 wedges
3 medium yellow squash
2 small eggplants
1 lb of asparagus
1 large onion cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

For the marinade:
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper


First mix the marinade for the veggies. Combine 3 Tbsp EVOO, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Pour over the sliced veggies and toss them to make sure they are coated.

Spray your grill with the cooking spray before adding the veggies. They should cook 5-6 minutes per side. Once they are grilled set aside 4 tomato halves and 6 red pepper wedges for the sauce. The rest are ready to put on your plate!

Now for the Romesco Sauce. In a food processor combine the following:
The 4 tomato halves and 6 red pepper wedges you set aside earlier
2 Tbsp of EVOO
1/2 cup toasted almonds (we substituted cashews)
6 peeled garlic cloves
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Process these ingredients till they are well combined and smooth. Serve as a dip for the veggies.

Here's the Klein Fitness Breakdown:

Prep ease: 4 out of 5 stars

Taste: 3 out of 5 stars

Grilled Veggies with Romesco Sauce:

Amount per Serving

• Calories 283
  
• Calories from Fat 36
• Total Fat 18g
• Total Carbohydrate 26g
• Sodium: 264mg
  
• Protein 9.5g

Grilled Chicken:
Serving Size: 6 ounces or 1/2 chicken breast
Amount per Serving

• Calories 281
• Calories from fat 27
• Saturated fat 1g
• Cholesterol 65 mg
• Sodium 750mg
• Total Carbs 3g
• Protein 35g

Total Meal: 564 calories

Overall satisfaction: We added chicken to the dish because the man must have his protein and is, by every definition of the word a SERIOUS carnivore. The veggies were great and we had way more than we needed. Unfortunately the Romesco sauce left something to be desired. It was okay, much the same consistency as hummus, but the sweetness didn't seem to go with the rest of the meal. To sum it up, great side dish recipe but we're not sold on it as the main event!