Episode 12 : Edible Car

Bob loves cars and food but he has never combined them together. This changes when he is pitted against elite engineering students in the Edible Car Competition at Brown University, an Ivey league school in Rhode Island. Students build and race vehicles made entirely out of food – ranging from loaves of bread, to butternut squash. Bob sees how the food is repurposed back into the land through compost and sustainability plans while touring local farms, and working at Brown University’s own cafeteria. Can Bob outwit some of the brightest students to create the ultimate speed racer, or will he be left in the dust by a vehicle made out of rice cakes and zucchini?

Recipes:

Autumn Roasted Eggplant & Toasted Ciabatta Panzanella Salad

Courtesy of Chef Matt Jennings from La Laiterie Restaurant in Rhode Island

2 cups mixed baby greens, including some baby spinach
2 cups diced eggplant, already roasted
2 cups sliced cippolini onions, roasted
1 cup brussel sprout leaves, blanched
1/4 lb. shredded ‘Piave’ or Parmigiano cheese
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sherry or red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 – 3 cups Italian bread cubes- if you can’t find ciabatta, substitute foccacia

1. Prepare the dressing – olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, basil, garlic, honey, S & P. Toss the bread cubes, eggplant & cippolini onions in the dressing and let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

2. Wash and dry the lettuces (including baby spinach and brussels sprout leaves). Pour the bread, eggplant and cippolini onion mixture over the greens. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Autumn ‘Hash’

Courtesy of Chef Matt Jennings from La Laiterie Restaurant in Rhode Island

1/4 lb bacon, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded
2 small red potatoes
6 ounces chicken stock
4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
salt and pepper

1. Set a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add bacon. Cook slowly, allowing fat to render off, until crispy.

2. While the bacon cooks, prepare vegetables by chopping the onions and cutting the squash and potatoes into a medium dice (about 1/2″). You should have about three cups of squash. Add the onion to the pan with the bacon and cook until softened. Add squash, potatoes, and stock. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and sauce and stock is evaporated. Add sage, salt and pepper. Cook another minute or two. Top with poached eggs. Yum!