Chopped Salad with Tahini
This is a Levant version of Greek Salad.
serves 4
6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut
into bite-size dice
2 mini-cucumbers, trimmed and cut into bite-size dice
1 red pepper, seeds, stalk and pith removed, cut into bite-size dice
5 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
1/3 c coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
1/2 lb feta, cut into 4 rectangular blocks
4 tbsp tahini
2 tsp za’atar**
2 mini-cucumbers, trimmed and cut into bite-size dice
1 red pepper, seeds, stalk and pith removed, cut into bite-size dice
5 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
1/3 c coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
1/2 lb feta, cut into 4 rectangular blocks
4 tbsp tahini
2 tsp za’atar**
Put the chopped tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl for
20 minutes. Discard the resulting juice and put the tomatoes, cucumbers,
pepper, spring onions and coriander in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil
and half a teaspoon of salt, and stir gently to combine.
To serve, arrange the feta on four
plates and spoon the salad on top, making sure some of the feta remains
visible. Pour a spoonful of tahini over each portion and finish with a sprinkle
of za’atar.
**This is a Levantine spice mix you can replicate if you can't find it already packaged. It's thyme, oregano, ground sesame seeds, salt and sometimes marjoram or sumac. It's tangy.
Roasted Vegetables Armenian style
serves 4-5
6 oz. cabbage, sliced into 3 wedges (keep the core in
– it’s the best bit)
1 lg carrot peeled and thickly sliced
1 med/lg zucchini thickly sliced
2 celery stalks, thickly sliced
1 red/purple onion, quartered
1/2 lb cauliflower stalks and florets, chopped
1 med red pepper cored, deseeded and roughly chopped
1/4 c olive oil
1 beefsteak or other large tomato, thickly sliced
1 tbsp dill, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
Pinch of crushed chili flakes1 lg carrot peeled and thickly sliced
1 med/lg zucchini thickly sliced
2 celery stalks, thickly sliced
1 red/purple onion, quartered
1/2 lb cauliflower stalks and florets, chopped
1 med red pepper cored, deseeded and roughly chopped
1/4 c olive oil
1 beefsteak or other large tomato, thickly sliced
1 tbsp dill, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
Pinch of cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 400º. Place all the
vegetables except the tomato in a large roasting tin. Pour over the oil and
season well with salt and pepper. Add pinch of cinnamon. Mix
everything together with your hands and bake for 30 minutes
until the edges of the vegetables start to char.
Arrange the tomato slices on top, season with salt and pepper. Continue to bake another 15 minutes. Sprinkle over the chopped dill
and serve.
Zucchini Flan
1½ pounds
zucchini, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 eggs
2 ½ cups milk
or half-and-half
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1 tsp chopped thyme
A few torn basil leaves
1 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp butter for greasing baking dish
4 oz grated cheese, such as Gruyère or Jack
Heat oven to 375º. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add
zucchini and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and spread zucchini out to cool on a
towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Beat eggs and milk with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add nutmeg, thyme, basil leaves and parsley.
Butter a 2-quart low-sided baking dish, and arrange blanched
zucchini over bottom. Scatter cheese over zucchini, then pour in custard.
Bake for 30 minutes or until custard is still a bit jiggly, but
an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Vegetable Biryani
An aromatic, elegant Indian party dish that just takes time but is not at all difficult.
A perfect summer meal with a side of raita/tsatziki, sliced fresh tomatoes and a garlic naan. Even blueberry chutney!
Serves 6-8
Grind together this spice mix:
2 1/2” fresh ginger root, peeled
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3 cardamom pods (if you don’t have pods use 1/4 tsp ground
cardamom)
2” cinnamon stick or 1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
Make rice
Wash 2 cups good quality Basmati rice and cook until tender
with
3 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
When rice is cooked, stir in the saffron with its water.
Heart of the Biryani
1 tbsp corn, mustard, safflower or olive oil
2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
1 lg yellow onion, peeled, halved, then sliced into very
thin wedges that will break up into thin strings of onion
1 Indian or Chinese eggplant, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
3 med carrots, diced
2 med Yukon gold or purple potatoes, washed and diced
handful of green beans (10-12) diced
1 cup either finely shredded and diced red cabbage or corn
1 medium yellow or zucchini squash, diced
1/2 tsp chili powder (Arbol is most authentic if you have
it)
1 tsp anise or fennel seeds
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 c coconut milk
Optional: you may need 1/2 c vegetable broth if the pot gets
too dry.
In a medium soup pot or casserole, heat oil and ghee over
medium flame.
When the mix is hot, add onions with a pinch of salt and
sauté until onions are soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Now stir in the spice mix you ground and
continue to sauté until it’s aromatic and the onions have a golden color,
another 3-5 minutes.
Add the chopped vegetables, chili powder and fennel seeds.
Stir to blend and continue cooking until the vegetables are hot. Add the
coconut milk, salt and chopped cilantro. Stir to blend. Cover and cook over low
heat until vegetables are soft, checking to insure there is always some juice
in the pot (1/4-1/3 cup is fine). Add broth if necessary.
Once vegetables are soft and rice is cooked, combine them in
a large, wide pan or serving dish.
Finishing touches
Melt 1/2 cup ghee or butter in a small frying pan or
skillet.
When it’s hot, add 1/2 cup raw almonds.
Sauté 3-5 minutes until almonds are hot and coated with
butter.
Toss in 1/4 tsp salt.
Pour contents of the frying pan over the biryani.
Optional: you can also fry a small onion, thinly sliced, in
butter until it’s crisply brown and put it on top as the final fillip of
tastiness.
recipe in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking
Serves 5-6
1 banana, peeled
1 apple, cored, peeled and quartered
1 peach, peeled and quartered
½ cantaloupe, peeled and chunked
2-3 tbsp. honey or real maple syrup
1cup plain yogurt
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
handful fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp fresh squeezed limejuice
1 ¼ cup unsweetened apple juice or, if you prefer, orange
juice
garnish: fresh blueberries
Combine everything but the apple juice in a blender or food
processor. Start to puree and after a few seconds pour the apple juice in as a
steady stream to make a soup. It should be thick enough to eat with a spoon but
not too thick to pour.
Chill.
Serve garnished with fresh blueberries.
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