When we visited Melbourne last month, Charina and I ate roasted seasonal vegetables in a restaurant next to our hotel. It was such a simple dish - roasted broccolini, brussels sprout, carrot and potato, sprinkled with course sea salt - yet we ate it twice in the same week.
Today I was alone at home while my mum is out for physio therapy. What better way to enjoy Me Time than taking control of the kitchen? So I roasted some vegetables.
I used whatever I found in our fridge: brussels sprout, carrot and zucchini. I also discovered a small sweet potato in the basket we usually keep onions in.
This is the first time that I cooked brussels sprouts at home. My mum was pretty curious. I explained that this was something they had plenty of in Oz, that I had enjoyed eating it and wanted her to try them too. She then enquired about them a couple more times, asking the same questions she had asked just 30 secs earlier. She forgets quickly, she was recently diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia.
I pushed most of the charred pieces her way because I thought those were the best part of any roast vegetable. Unfortunately, my mother cut away every charred bit and left them all on the side of her plate. 'I do not like skin," she said.
I kept my mouth shut as she continued. "The carrots need to be cooked further."
"The zucchini are too soft."
By tomorrow, she may not remember that I ever made roast vegetables.
