Mediterranean Summer
When the summer vegetables start flooding in I can't help but be reminded of the meals I grew up eating from my Armenian grandmother. She led a veggie-centric diet -- not because it was healthy, ethical, or popular -- just because she liked veggies, a lot. It also explains a lot about myself.
Mediterranean food in the summer for us meant lots of eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a ridiculous volume of herbs. There was not a dinner that went by in my household without a big ol' pile of herbs in the center of the dinner table.
My grandma was a simple cook, so she wouldn't necessarily make a tahini dressing for her salad, but all of these flavors are accurate representations of what she would normally brought to the table, and taught us to do in turn.
So it goes, when I saw heirloom eggplants, Armenian cucumbers, and dry farmed tomatoes at the market, it all made sense.
The following recipes definitely qualify as an easy weekday dinner and only require knife work and assembling. Rather than focusing on techniques, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food is an emphasis on building and layering flavors. Use the measurements I provide as a guideline. Cook these recipes with the intention to follow your tastebuds, rather than directions. I go heavy-handed when I use these spice flavor profiles, so do whatever amount you're comfortable with and adapt from there!
Garbanzo Bean | Armenian Cucumber Salad
with a Tahini Dressing
Serves 3-4
2 medium Armenian cucumbers
3-4 black radishes, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 12oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 spring onion, white and greens thinly sliced
2 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
2 cups croutons, homemade or store-bought
1/2 cup kalamata or green olives, roughly chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1-2 lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2+ tbsp salt
1 tbsp aleppo pepper
Start by prepping the cucumbers: cut down the middle lengthwise and use the tip of a small spoon to scrape the seeds away. These seeds add water to the salad and thin out the dressing. When cleaned, place the cucumbers inside down and thinly cut on the diagonal. Place in a bowl along with the radishes and sprinkle with a heaping tablespoon of salt.
Let sit for 10-15 minutes until the water has been extracted and the veggies have become limp. Using your hands, squeeze as much liquid from the cucumbers and radishes as you can and transfer into a large bowl.
To make the dressing, first toast the coriander seeds. Heat a pan or cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Add the seeds and constantly mix them around until hot and fragrant. Transfer the seeds out of the pan and into a mortar and pestle otherwise they would continue to toast and burn in the hot pan. Use the pestle to crush the seeds and pound at them until they have become and sandy, coarse texture.
Either in a separate bowl or in the mortar, add the remaining dressing ingredients: tahini, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, and salt. Mix until smooth and set aside.
Add the chopped spring onions, garbanzo beans, kalamata olives and croutons to the bowl with the cukes and radishes. Add the dressing as well and stir well with spoons or hands. If necessary add more olive oil and salt to taste. Serve!
Brown Rice | Eggplant | Zataar Pilaf
serves 3-4
2 cups long grain brown rice
2 small varietal eggplants (grafitti, bianca, etc), cut into 1" cubes
1 stalk green garlic
2 tbsp zataar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup cooking oil
3-4 cups vegetable stock or animal stock
handful cilantro, stems and leaves chopped
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
2+ tbsp salt
1/4 cup labne
Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, melt the butter on medium high heat. Once the butter starts to sizzle and darken, add the brown rice and stir so all of the grains are getting coated. Continue to stir as the rice sizzles and gets toasty. Add 1 tbsp of the zataar.
Once the mixture has become very fragrant and the rice grains begin to look translucent, add just enough stock to cover 1/2" above the surface of the rice. Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer and cover with a lid. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed -- just be sure not to remove the lid during this time! Once enough time has elapsed, turn off the heat and let the residue steam finish cooking the rice.
Add the eggplant and the whole stem of garlic to a baking tray. Drizzle with the cooking oil, remaining zataar and 1 tbsp of salt and mix to incorporate. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes or so, making sure to periodically check on them to mix the veggies around the tray. Once brown and tender, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
The rice should be finished at this time so remove the lid and gently fluff with a fork. Roughly chop the roasted green garlic stalk and add both that and eggplant to the rice. Continue to gently mix in. When ready to serve, add the cilantro and sunflower seeds and taste for salt seasoning. Serve with a dollop with labne on top!