Coming back home I thought that I would be depressed for bit. Travelling for a while tempers with the idea of home. What I didn't take into account was the comfort of being home and how meaningful it becomes after being away from it for a while.
As our return date was August, also a nice welcome was the fresh new vegetables- this is the season for tomatoes, corn and more. Some zucchini flowers are still out.
What is fascinating is how fresh produce is much easier to work with. As the produce tastes as itself, (which majority of store bought fruits and vegetables do not) the advantage of cooking with these ingredients is the less you have to do with them.
We had a small dinner upcoming. With the ingredients from the farmer's market I produced a simple but filling (and mostly vegetarian/vegan) menu.
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| An idea for appetizers is to do something inspired by a trip you recently took. Here is a Scandinavian starter plate I made with random stuff that reminded me of my trip to Sweden- blueberry chutney, fresh rye bread (buy a box from ikea), pickles, and Norwegian cheese |
The menu included the following--- Swisschord kale borek, roasted vegetable and basil salad, heirloom corn tomatoes as appetizers-- Main course is hunkar begendi an eggplant mash usually topped with lamb but I replaced the lamb with wine cooked mushroom mix-- desert was cracked into pieces chocolate bars served next to farmers'market bought fresh rasberries. All takes few minutes to cook and rely on the natural taste of the vegetables. A few rules though:
ALWAYS KEEP A BOTTLE OF NICE OLIVE OIL. like the fresh vegetable the nice olive oil speaks for itself.
DO NOT OVER SPICE. the key to cooking with fresh grown vegetables are to let them be. one or two spices or herbs per dish is the way to go.
Let start with the appetizers.---
WHEN I DO THE SHOPPING LISTS I ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE BASIC SPICES SO THEY ARE NOT ON THAT LIST. TO ENSURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING READ THROUGH THE RECIPES.
GREENS BOREK
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| This is the golden color you are looking for in your borek. Topped with blacksesames it is good warm or cold! |
Shopping list: Turkish yufka, a block of cheap feta, packaged or fresh greens(swiss chard, kale and spinach will work), plain yoghurt (small), 1-2 eggs, olive oil
Where does the borek come from? The South Slavs call it burek - us turks call it borek. It is almost a filo dough dish and you can make it with filo although this recipe is with yufka- turkish version of filo dough- thicker when bought in the us in vacuum packs. You can buy it online.
To wet filo pieces: mix one egg, 1-2 tablespoons of oil (vegetable or olive oil), 1-2 tablespoons of unflavored yoghurt, a cup of water- whisk this combo.
When you buy the yufka it is somewhat stuck together. You can seperate small pieces. You are trying to make layers. You should use the dough so that you put as much in the buttom as you would put on top. If the sheets seperate don't worry. Do a patch work as you wet them they will come together. Before you put your filling in a rectagular baking dish of medium to large size do two-three layers of the though in ways it would fit your pan. Each layer you lay should be topped with the liquid mixture you describe above. You can use your hands so the filling seeps through the dough.
Filling: Mix store or farms market bought of greens of your choice. I used two bags of spinach and kale pre-packed from Trader's Joe. Add a tiny bit of water so that it wilts the greens. A spoonful of olive oil. Close and stir here and there. This should take approximately 5 minutes. Mix the greens as the parts in the bottom small down. After 5-10 minutes when your greens are cooked (1) get rid of excess water (you can drain your grains and put them back to the pot) (2) get a block of the cheapest feta you bought from the store (any kind) crumble it on top and mix when it is hot with the greens.
Put the filling on top of the first two layers. Distribute evenly. Then put another 2-3 layers of the dough. Repeat the same way- a layer and the liquid press with your fingers make sure that the liquid is all around. Pour whatever is left of your liquid to the top layer. You can always make more of the liquid mixture if it runs out.
Optional: top it with black sesames if you can get a hold of it.
BLACK SESAMES ARE AMAZING FOR BAKING!
Preheat oven at 350-375 F. Bake your borek for 40-50 minutes in a preheated oven. When the top is golden your borek is ready.
HEIRLOOM AND CORN SALAD
Shopping List: 3-4-5 heirloom tomates, 3-4 corns, 1 lime, olive oil
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This has no recipe really.
Buy the best heirloom tomatoes at your farmers market. Bring them home and wash them.
Buy corn from the same market (the season is ending - be quick)
Boil a pot of water. Add your corn (3 or so) to the boiling salted water (add salt too I forgot) and cook for 10-12 minutes in medium heat. Take the corn out of the water. Cut the kennels of the whole corn.
Cut your heirloom tomates however you like. I usually just rid it of its hard parts and cut based on the shape of the tomatoes I have.
Mix your corn with tomatoes. Salt it to your liking. With salt because it is based on personal taste I think less is always better. A bit of cracked pepper. Add a generous bit of good olive oil. (1-2 tablespoons not a cup by the way when I say generous) Squeeze the juice of a lime on top (I don't know why but I think lime goes better with heirlooms) IF you have it get a cilantro(fresh) Just take of 5-6 leaves and leave it on top of your already mixed salad.
ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD
Shopping List: 2-3 zucchinis, 3-4 bell peppers, 4 red potatoes, 2 red onions, a bunch of fresh basil, garlic, olive oil
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I baked my farmers market bought vegetables as soon as they were bought. This was fresh zucchini and bell peppers. I revisited the market the day my dinner party was and bought some red potatoes and 2 med size red onions. Baking depends on the vegetable. High heat (400 F) is your friend and checking your vegetables is what you should do. I baked zucchini and bell peppers together (took about 30 minutes as I like a crunch on my zucchini) and cut up the potatoes in equal size and wedges from onions (took about 40 minutes) Before you bake drizzle top with coarse salt and olive oil.
That is it. You can keep this in the refrigrator and use it for whatever. But if you are making the salad I made, mix all your roasted vegetables together. I bought fresh basil leaves and coarsely chopped about 8-10 leaves. I minced a garlic clove and added that to my nice olive oil-(1-2 tablespoons) added onto that the juice of a half a lemon. Quickly whisk and make a vinegratte. Add on top of your vegetables. Top it with the fresh basil and that is it. You have divine and filling salad.
As for the Main Courses...
HUNKAR BEGENDI (Eggplant Mash)
Shopping List: 1-2 large eggplants for baking, flour, milk, butter, a bit of grated cheese (what would work: mozarella or kashkaval)
This is simple but divine. Hunkar begendi in Turkish means the king liked it and he liked it for a reason. Eggplants are used a lot in Turkey and this mash - a perfect sub for mashed potatoes tastes amazing. Great to serve with meat- if you are a faux vegetarian like myself for cleansing purposes are also a great bed for grilled or sauteed warm vegetable dish. In this case I will not include the recipe but I just topped mine with sauteed mushrooms (portabello and crimini) with dryed thyme, salt pepper, olive oil and a touch red or white wine).
Bake one or two of the fat big eggplants you buy from the farmers market. Before you make make small knife marks around your eggplant letting air in. Just stick a knife in and out around the eggplant. Preheat oven in 400F. Slightly rub your egplant w olive oil and salt. Put it in. Move the eggplant to its different sides every 10-15 minutes (total around 40-50 minutes depending on the size of your eggplant) When it is cooked the hard fat eggplant should feel mushy inside. I prepare big bath of cold water with ice, squeeze a lemon inside and put the eggplants in there. Let it cool. Once cold -- cut the stem of the eggplant and clean it off its outside. The remaining insides of the eggplants you put in a cutting board and chop as fine as you can.
In the meantime -- in a pot- melt a tablespoon of butter and add to that a tablespoon of olive oil. When hot add 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Mix and let it get golden. It should make small dough like peaks. Add to that 1/4 or so cup of milk. Mix or whisk together. Add your eggplants to that mixture. Add salt.(two three small pinches) A little bit of cracked pepper. Take handheld processor (if you do not have that pouring the mixture when not too hot to an actual food processor and pouring it back will help) Into it also add 1/4 cup of grated kashkaval or mozarella cheese. Process + Mix until it takes the consistency of mashed potatoes. Taste to make sure it is creamy and tasty.
Top it with a steak, lamb or vegetable.
For desert---- if you are lazy like me
RASBERRIES WITH CHOCOLATE
Shopping List: A box or two of rasberries, a bar of chocolate
Buy a nice bar of chocolate
Buy a box or two of rasberries.
Seperate the bar into pieces. Put that next to the rasberries.
Offer tea if you want to be remembered as a nice host. My favorite is the Harney and Sons -- Hot Cinamon Sunset tea.
