Squashes stuffed with leftover Persian Bud-m-Joon (eggplant-split pea), Beet Greens with Tempeh

Yesterday, we had a dinner business meeting with somebody who drove from Charlotte to meet us. We met at a favorite restaurant of ours, Sage, a Persian vegetarian restaurant in Chapel Hill. We almost always order the same thing - their excellent Osh (a noodle, lentil, and chickpea soup that is a Persian staple) and a starter platter to share, then the whole family shares one order of the hearty, unique, and delicious Fesen-Joon, tempeh cooked in a pomegranate reduction - here is a description from their menu:

* Fesen-Joon                                                                                                                      $14.00

A Persian classic. Sweet and sour flavors of pomegranate juice, ground walnuts & herbs
blended with grilled Tempeh, served with basmati-saffron rice and a side of shirazi

The few times we don't get Fesen-Joon, we often get Bud-m-Joon:

* Bud-m-Joon                                                                                                                   $13.00

“Eggplant paradise” with tomato, split peas, saffron, sautéed onion, hint of cinnamon,
and other spices, served with basmati-saffron rice and a side of shirazi

Our colleague ordered the Bud-m-Joon and invited us to take home its leftovers. I served it today stuffed inside a baked carnival squash half. I also baked butternut squash and served it with just a bit of Earth Balance margarine.

We received in our online farmer's market delivery today some beets with greens; the greens are actually more nutritious than the roots. These greens weren't in the best shape, so were better to be cooked than eaten raw. I made a simple saute of most of the greens from the bunch, chopped into about 1" lengths, along with tempeh and a little bit of red onion. A few tomato slices added a little bit of raw color and completed the meal. The Bud-m-Joon went great with the squash - in fact, I think this is now my favorite way of eating this tasty dish from Sage!