“What can I do with this?”
Isn’t that always the question. A creative practice that I return to, again and again, is making something great out of… just something. Maybe it’s because I can’t bear to see anything go to waste, maybe it’s because I appreciate resourcefulness and innovation, or maybe I’m just too lazy to think of bigger ideas, but I usually begin a creative piece with one thing. For example: I write a poem because I couldn’t get a particularly juicy phrase out of my head all day; I get excited about a clothing item, and I build an outfit around it; I compose a melody because I woke up humming an appealing riff; or I invent a dish because I want to use (or use up) a certain ingredient.
Like tonight. I had one special ingredient with which to build a meal: fresh oregano. It was a gift from a friend with a garden—don’t you dig having friends with gardens? (Pun absolutely intended.)
My first creation for 30 Days of Creativity (1 day down, 29 to go…) was simple and small, but delish. And vegan. And fast. And I find it so satisfying when an entire nourishing meal fits into a single bowl. With toasted olive bread and a glass of homemade iced tea, it hit the spot.
Recipe: Brown some chopped onions on high heat. Then add an eggplant (cubed), chunks of red pepper, and a bit of water, and turn down the heat to medium-high. Add a handful of fresh oregano (or a couple spoonfuls of dried oregano) and some parsley and thyme. Garlic would be great in this as well. Simmer until it’s soft.
This is not a recipe blog or by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I really qualify as a foodie, but MAN this was some tasty art.
Do you do this one-item inspiration thing too? Tell me about it.
holy man i love food
with garlic AND MUSHROOMS
The picture looks deeeeeeeeelicious. Particularly the bread!
Did you make the bread? It all looks so good! (Also, typo alert: “turn down the head” s/b “turn down the heat.” I correct because I love.)
I wish I made the bread, but I did not. It was indeed delicious though.
Typo noted. I shall scan for it and delete. Even copy-editors need copy-editors!
[…] 1. I ruminated on the idea of using just one thing to inspire creative projects. I came up with a simple recipe for eggplant. I wrote about both in a blog post: “One Inspiring Thing, or Easy Eggplant and Oregano Stew”. […]