roasted veggies

With spring finally on the way for most parts of the country, why not make a roasted veggie chickpea Buddha bowl to celebrate? We are still a little bit on the cusp of having great produce back - our farmer’s market starts up next week, and I’m sure we’ll have access to things like spring greens and asparagus. However, our local food co-op has been upping their game in the produce department lately, so I’ve been stocking up on things like Japanese sweet potatoes, watermelon radishes, and fava beans. The favas never make it past snack status - I just love them too much to save them for a lunch dish. The sweet potatoes and the watermelon radishes, on the other hand, got to star in this roasted veggie chickpea Buddha bowl.

I also used fresh herbs from the patio garden. I’ve never brought an herb plant into my life and resisted using it immediately. In this case, while the chives are fully established, the Italian flat leaf parsley and the basil are already missing a few leaves before they even get into the ground. I was doing some research on sauces for Buddha bowls and came across a lovely idea for goat cheese and herbs being blended into a sauce. I can’t even begin to say how easy this dish ends up being.

Buddha bowls are so versatile - you can use just about any grain, roasted veggie, fresh veggie, legume and sauce. In this case, I sliced up some raw asparagus for a little crunch. I also used a wild rice blend that’s been lurking in the cupboard for a little while (might have moved it last year from Vancouver, might have bought it more recently than that). It’s definitely a healthy start to the week.