Moving Purgatory

This morning I woke up and decided I'm in "moving purgatory".  I know the end is in sight, but it doesn't feel that way at the moment.  While the bulk of everything is packed, it's those sniggly little stragglers still needing to be popped into boxes that are driving me crazy.  It probably doesn't help that I placed the first round of orders for the store on Friday.  Perhaps that makes everything worse as I really just want to be in Maine getting Lucky Hill up and running.  Speaking of which, you can check out my first blog post for Lucky Hill at luckyhillhome.blogspot.com

I realized I haven't had any cooking posts for quite awhile, as my kitchen is more or less packed.  More by my standards, less by others.  I've been trying to use up a lot of what I have in the larder, but this was one of those days we really needed veggies.  With packing at a height and tying up loose ends, I knew exactly what fit the bill.

The first time I had Israeli cous cous was in Miami in 1998 when I was there for my first freelance design contract.  As with a lot of my freelance contracts, I ended up working in my room most nights and ordering room service.  The first night I ordered the mixed vegetables over Israeli cous cous and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.  It was wonderful.  The second night I ordered the same.  And the third.  And the forth.  By the fifth night, when room service picked up they knew what I wanted before I ever uttered a word.

Israeli cous cous is now a staple in my pantry.  While this may not be the same dish I had in Miami, it is one Dan and I love.  It's super easy, totally yummy, and you can easily modify it based on the veggies that are in season.

Israeli Cous Cous with Mixed Veggies

4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
Israeli cous cous, prepared per directions (I use a
      box of Trader Joe's Israeli cous cous)

Warm the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the garlic.  Cook the garlic until slightly golden.  Do not overcook the garlic!  With a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a small bowl.  Add the zucchini and yellow squash slices to the saute pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until tender and beginning to color.  Add the grape tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes soften and start to break down.  Return the garlic to the pan and simmer with the vegetables for five minutes.  To plate, place the cous cous in the bottom of a bowl and top with the vegetables.