Three-Alarm Texas Black Bean Caviar

Did you make a New Year's resolution for 2019? I did not, because I am already perfect. Kidding, but jokes aside, I guess I like to think that I work year-round towards continual betterment of self? Maybe. Anyway, this year I have decided to make one and it is the following: make sh*t easier for myself. For example, not making a second trip to Fairway, after completing my food shopping at Whole Foods, just because I know the Garden of Eatin’ salt-free blue chips I like are on sale there and full-price here. Not forgoing all my purchases at Bed Bath & Beyond because I left my 20% off coupon at home. Clearly, I take extreme delight in couponing, but in 2019, I’ll spend those extra few bucks to save something far more precious: my time.

And next time I am innocuously asked to “just bring an appetizer” to a dinner party, I will whip up this Three-Alarm Texas Black Bean Caviar without thinking twice. Despite knowing that its perfectly acceptable to pick up an assortment of cheeses or dips and call it a day, I feel compelled to create a dish from scratch—it’s in my kitchen-kvelling bones. Over the years, this mandate has led to multiple instances of biting off more than I can chew, and/or, totally disproportionate amounts of effort to reward. Certain entertaining parameters limit the types of appetizers I can make (i.e., sticking to room-temperature fare should the host need the oven for the main meal; assembling hors d'oeuvres that travel easily and require minimal serving prep) which forces me to get creative—often at my own expense. I’ve seen the shrimp summer rolls I so painstakingly put together unravel right before my eyes; watched in horror as a guest asked if my made-from-scratch, soaked-overnight white bean dip was Sabra brand hummus.

Good riddance, futile appetizer exertion! Instead, let’s roll effortlessly into 2019 with this ballyhoo-deserving “caviar”— a delightfully robust black bean dip with all the flavor complexities and luxuriant richness of its highbrow delicacy moniker. Have you ever had Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar, the irresistible black bean and corn salsa I always end up eating out of the jar by the spoonful? This is that, but homemade. The TJ version is a bit too sweet for my taste, but this recipe is more reserved with the sugar (it is from the American Medical Association Family Health Cookbook, after all) relying on the natural pickling of the vinegar-doused diced peppers and onions to create that lip-smacking saccharine tang. Boisterous in both spice and heat, the dip's texture and flavors are reminiscent of a slow-cooked chili; tortilla chips temper the picante factor just so.

I highly suggest doubling the recipe—the caviar will go fast, and, you can always save some for yourself to use as a salsa for grilled chicken or fish. The longer it sits, the better it tastes, so do try to make it a day ahead if possible.

Three-Alarm Texas Black Bean Caviar (From AMA Family Health Cookbook)
Makes 2 ½ cups (about 8 servings)

Ingredients:
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pickled jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finally chopped
¼ c red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp dried savory (optional)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, chili powder, savory, cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the bean mixture, return the mixture to a boil, and simmer for 1 minute*. Using the back of a spoon (or immersion blender) mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the saucepan. (This will help thicken the mixture.) Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl, cool to room temp, and refrigerate for at least 1 hr (up to 5 days).

3. Return to room temperature before serving. Serve in a bowl, accompanied by chips for scooping.

*I simmered for closer to 5-7 minutes, to ensure the onions lost their sharp bite.

Smoky Summer Squash and Yogurt Spread | The Recipe Hunters

By nature of its definition, the “sustainable” part of “sustainable food” can be expounded in different ways. The most widely used description pertains to the environmental component, i.e., conserving ecological balance through mindful environmental practices—eating locally to reduce carbon footprint, enhance the wellbeing of the local farming community, that sort of thing.

The social component, while omnipresent, is sometimes overlooked. A sustainable food system should enhance a community’s social well-being, celebrate their social values. For example, the social interaction at a farmers market contributes to its sustainability, in addition to the local nature of the produce. As would using that produce to cook a meal for a group of friends or family. In the world of sustainable food, the act of eating together— sharing experiences, passing down recipes— is not as perfunctory as one might think.



All over the world, cultures retain livelihood partially thanks to this social environment built upon food. A tapestry of food, interaction, and stories weave together to create the way of life that defines a people. This is sustainability—both in terms of food, and the inherent meaning of the word itself. Propelling a particular identity forward, one that happens to be grounded in food. Everyone has their own, and The Recipe Hunters are hungry, literally, to seek them out.

Over the summer I had the privilege of meeting the self-titled Recipe Hunters, Leila Elamine and Anthony Morano, and was deeply moved by the work they do. In a nutshell, Leila and Anthony travel the globe to find authentic and traditional family recipes, recording the stories behind the people and dishes as they go. To understand the seasonal produce of a particular region, they volunteer at local farms; immersing themselves in the culture they wish to capture. “Once we find someone special who cooks traditional food with passion, experience, and love, we record the entire process with photography, video, and writing,” they explain. Their mission boils down to using food as a medium to build community, preserve culture heritage, and re-establish the dining table as the familial centerpiece.

The first week in August, Leila and Anthony hosted a restaurant takeover to cook a feast of mezze recipes they had “hunted” during their travels in the Middle East. As guests, we traversed a whirlwind journey to Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, and Syria by flavor, each stop accompanied by an intimate anecdote from Leila and Anthony’s time spent in that region. They would fondly recall a cook by name, who we could conveniently follow on the menu. Rather then eat zaa’tar, I ate Doha’s zaa’tar. Amal’s hummus. Marietta’s eggplant fritters. To acknowledge the authors of each recipe in writing was to bridge their distance, allowing their identities to dine in NYC with us along with their fare and tales.

Mezze is one of my favorite categories of cuisine, and I could wax poetic about Khuta’s Zahra Bi Tahineh, roasted cauliflower drizzled in tahini sauce, and Elena’s elioti, unleavened olive and cilantro bread, until the cows come home. But if I had to choose just one dish out of the 11 served that was my favorite, I think it would be Mtabal Koosa Ma’Laban by Doha from Palestine: a summer squash and yogurt spread I greedily and sloppily slathered over pita after pita. A sucker for mashed vegetable dips (see my Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic dip) I loved the way the deeply roasted earthy-sweet squash pulp tasted with the tart, creamy yogurt; whisked amply with brazen garlic, slick grassy olive oil, and quality sea salt. This dip will remind you of others in the region—tzatziki and labneh to name a few—but truly maintains an identity of its own with the delightful smoky summer squash. (For apartment-dwellers lacking a grill, charring vegetables on an open gas-burning stove top is a wonderful way to char the skin to a blackened crisp and achieve that grill-scorched flavor on the interior. Just make sure you monitor said veggies carefully so they don't catch on fire)! A cinch to whip up, the dip is aptly seasonal despite the cooling weather: summer squash are still prolific at the farmers markets right now.


Hungry to keep living vicariously through The Recipe Hunters? Visit their website or YouTube Channel to watch their culinary adventures in action and get more delicious, storied recipes.

Smoky Summer Squash and Yogurt Spread (Mtabal Koosa Ma’Laban)
By Doha via The Recipe Hunters

Ingredients
4 medium sized summer squash
1.5 cloves of garlic
5 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of tart, plain yogurt

Directions:
1. Fire roast the summer squash or cook them directly over a medium-high flame on a gas burner until their skins are charred and their insides are soft.
2. Using a mortar and a pestle, mash the garlic with the salt.
3. In a bowl, stir the garlic and salt in the yogurt. Peel open the squash and use a spoon or your hands to crape the pulp into the yogurt. Stir the yogurt until everything is evenly dispersed.
4. Drizzle with EVOO and serve with lots of pita.

Quick & Easy Pickles

Today, I introduce to you a cure for summer vegetable anxiety: quick and easy homemade pickles. Despite the fact that I consume more vegetables than anyone I know, I cannot keep up with all the veggies I’ve been buying at the farmers market. Peppers, squash, okra, fennel, zucchini, beets, tomato...so much is in season right now, and though I try to gather only what I'll eat for the week, I'm so tickled by all of the out-of-the-box heirloom varieties that I end up buying triple the amount I set out to. I'm sorry, but who can resist purple carrots, avocado zucchini, and yellow cucumbers!? Not this girl. 

Now, what is an overly-eager vegetable splurger to do in this situation? I marvel at the idea of making preserves— peeling open a jar of home-canned tomatoes in the dead of winter for a delicious flashback to summer—but in true New Yorker fashion, I have no patience and no storage space. If I'm going to pickle or preserve, it's gotta work at my speed and be ready to eat by the next day. Enter Quick & Easy Pickles.

Sensationally vinegary with just the right amount of sweet and salty, these pickles are a cinch to whip up, requiring 30 minutes of pickling time and lasting for at least 2 weeks. You can eat them with anything and everything: on top of sandwiches, mixed into salads, a kimchi substitute in a homemade rice or grain bowl. They are virtually giardiniera in the fast lane—that lovely mix of antipasto vegetables you see sometimes at Italian restaurants. Fittingly, giardiniera translates to "garden" in English; the method was traditionally used to preserve prolific homegrown vegetables.

So back to those nonconformist heirloom veggies—what a perfect place to showcase those vibrant purple, yellow and orange hues! I urge you to seek out the craziest-colored produce you can find for this sprightly relish. Purple cauliflower is definitely up for my next batch.

Quick & Easy Pickles (from Nutrition Action newsletter)

Ingredients:
Enough thinly sliced vegetables to fill 1 pint-sized Mason jar (16 oz), tightly packed (try onion, carrot, fennel, cucumber, cauliflower, pepper)
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp pickling spices

Directions:
Bring vinegar, salt, sugar, pickling spices and ¾ cup water to boil. Pour over the vegetables to cover. Chill for at least half an hour before serving.

Spicy Peanut Dressing

Don’t cook. Here’s why.

Last weekend I saw the first batch of local summer squash (shout out to New Jerz and your slightly warmer climate) oblong, squat, or slender in a rainbow of buttercup yellow and sage green; sugar snap peas, shelling peas, fava beans; tomatoes large and small. The bounty will continue to amass, accruing peppers, stone fruits, and cucumbers, begetting infinite possibilities in the kitchen. But for me, the time has never been riper to not cook.

By not cook, I mean not heat; rather, enjoy these fruits and vegetables in their raw form. Just yesterday I purchased my first local strawberries and was blown away by how juicy, sweet, and intensely flavorful the pint-sized locals compared to the genetically-altered Driscoll giants. We all know that less food miles equals a fresher foodstuff, rendering it unequivocally superior in taste as well. But in the colder months, when the only options are supermarket produce hailing from other continents, it can be easy to forget just how monumental the flavor gap is. I grew used to my Trader Joe’s sugar snap peas, until they once again became available to me locally. The difference is night and day.

What I ask is simple: take a moment to delight in the vim and vigor of local produce. Even if it’s just cutting a slice of zucchini before it goes into the pan for stir-fry, experience what that difference tastes like.

This Spicy Peanut Dressing is a versatile condiment to relish all vegetables in their uncooked glory. It can live as a summer crudité dipping sauce, a chopped leafy green salad dressing, or the flavor mainstay of cold sesame noodles/zucchini noodles. It is sweet and nutty, spicy and vinegary, and overall, utterly drinkable (spotted: husband consuming sauce by the spoonful out of the jar. I’m only guilty of petty misdemeanor plate-licking). On these 90+ degree days, where the thought of turning on a stovetop burner feels like it might be the final straw to literally melt you into a puddle, pull out this dressing. (It keeps for weeks in the fridge, tripling the recipe is highly recommended). Pair with any variety of cool, crisp vegetables. Rinse, repeat, all throughout summer. 

A few ideas for ingredient combinations (just add protein):

• Lacinato kale, mint, cucumber, pomegranate seeds
• Soba noodles, cabbage, carrot , mango, sesame seeds
• Rice wrappers, cucumber, jicama, bell pepper, scallions
• Lettuce cups, sweet potato, radish, cilantro 

Spicy Peanut Dressing (from Food52)
Makes 3/4 of a cup; dressing for 4

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients by hand or in a blender.

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Dip

I would argue that NYC Jews exiting to suburbia for their respective Passover seders is a modern yet terrifically spot-on reenactment of the Jewish Exodus in BCE. Seriously, let's count the parallels. First, the Jews leave in a haste. Pharaoh wasn't joking around; New Yorkers are always in a rush. Second, the journey was long. Eek, the desert is huge; but subway to train station to train to car and back again ain't quite the picnic, either. Third, they took everything they owned. Possessions, livestock, unleavened breads; I am carrying this morning's gym bag, a bag of winter clothing I need my mother to store in her basement, my purse, a box of everything Tam Tam's, and....

 This Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Dip. A lovely, rich, transportable, picturesque display of an appetizer that does Passover well—and if you can nail the travel, unrefrigeration, and chametz restrictions of this fine holiday, you can do anything.



What I like so much about this dip applies to my Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread as well—it has that sensationally creamy texture so essential to the condiment's namesake, plus interesting, fresh flavors that one just cannot create with an off-the-shelf hummus. (I love hummus as much as the next person, but does anything say "I tried" less?) Here, richness has depth from earthy cauliflower, deeply roasted garlic and toasted pepitas, made sprightly with bright lemon and sweet nutmeg. A generous glug of good quality olive oil ensures a grassy, golden finish.  Finally, the bowl is topped with verdant parsley dice and whole pepitas, adding aesthetic flare to the modest-looking dip. If laying the bowl on a board, consider adding whole parsley sprigs and lemon quarters to up the visual ante even more.



For Passover, serve the Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Dip with veggie sticks and Tam Tam crackers (I will point out here that the fiber-rich cauliflower will help with some of the digestive hold-ups, if you will, of an 8-day matzoh diet). If making the dip any other day, accompany with toasted pita wedges or flatbread.

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Dip (from Cup of Jo)
Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 cups 3/4-inch thick cauliflower florets
1 head garlic, root end trimmed and broken into cloves
4 tbsp plus 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp pepitas
2 tbsp minced flatleaf parsley
Sea salt
Ground cayenne pepper to taste
Flatbreads or crackers, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, toss cauliflower florets and garlic cloves (still in their papery skin) with 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Make sure garlic is tucked up against the cauliflower florets to protect it from the heat. Flipping halfway through, roast until cauliflower is tender and golden, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, set a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, then the pepitas. Toast 2-3 minutes, just until the seeds become fragrant and a few start to pop. Toss with sea salt and set aside.

4. When cool enough to handle, squeeze roasted garlic out of the papery skins.

5. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine roasted cauliflower and garlic, 2 tablespoons toasted pepitas, lemon juice, nutmeg and cayenne pepper to taste. With food processor running, drizzle in 3 tablespoons olive oil (for a creamier dip, add up to 2 more tablespoons olive oil). Taste and add additional sea salt, cayenne and lemon juice as needed.

6. Spoon dip into a wide bowl, drizzle with remaining teaspoon olive oil, minced parsley and remaining toasted pepitas. Serve with warm flatbread triangles, crackers, or raw veggie sticks. 

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin

Burger lovers and green veggie lovers, rejoice! In a rare display of connubiality, these two epicurean entities have joined together to create one deliciously verdant turkey burger. Be gone, obligatory thin, sad slices of iceberg lettuce and tomato; measly dollop of sautéed mushrooms and onion passing implausibly as an appropriate serving of vegetables. Finally, a recipe to show that vegetables have the ability to enhance, not hinder, a traditional carnivorous burger.

They've got the right idea across the pond. In Ottolenghi's Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin, ample shredded zucchini, scallions, herbs, and spices breathe seasonally-appropriate vitality into the petite patties, little in size but certainly not in flavor.  Slather in ketchup, you will not: these viridescent burgers are accompanied by a rich, zesty yogurt-sumac dipping sauce, offering crisp acidity with the burger's flora. Another piece of brilliance by the Brits? They refer to zucchinis as courgettes.  Now, how much nobler does that make this burger sound?

I appreciated the recipe’s effort to keep the burger light; scant oil, absence of bread crumbs, and low-fat sour cream and yogurt all contribute to the dish feeling rich in flavor, only. (For those of you keeping Passover, this is a great recipe to make post-seder and keep for the week!) If you like tartness, I absolutely encourage you to invest in Sumac—it’s worth adding to your rotation of cooking spices—but the recipe definitely still works if you don’t happen to have it. Just make sure not to skimp on the added herbs and spices; these really give pop to the otherwise mild poultry meat.

Ottolenghi refers to the patties as “burgers”, but in reality, his suggested size is more like a meatball. The smaller surface area worked in my favor, because the cook time is minimal, and I was able to easily stuff 2 meatballs per pita-half, the insides of which I smeared with the yogurt sauce and then topped with Greek salad, like a falafel. While pairing with a carbohydrate like bread or bun is not essential, it certainly creates a hearty lunch or dinner—couscous or whole-grain rice are good alternatives, too.    

On the other end of the spectrum, halving the size of the meatballs (and adjusting cook time to match) makes then perfectly bite-sized for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Stick each meatball with toothpick, and serve the dipping sauce in a bowl on the side. They won’t crumble or fall apart—in Jerusalem, Ottolenghi highlights the patties' portability.

So there you have it! A burger as green, vivacious, and exciting as Spring. Burger, meatball, or courgette-speckled spheroid; whatever you call it, prepare to be wholly satisfied with each bite.  

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin (from Jerusalem; amended slightly to skew towards the healthier)
Makes 12 to 16 meatball-sized burgers

Ingredients:

For the burgers:
1 lb ground turkey (I used Di Paola free-range, antibiotic-free white meat, but dark meat works too)
1 large zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 Tbsp neutral oil, like canola or sunflower, for searing

For the yogurt-sumac sauce:
½ cup sour cream* (preferably low fat)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt (preferably low fat)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1½ Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sumac
½ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

*Option to omit sour cream completely and use ½ cup extra Greek yogurt instead.
Directions:

1. Make the yogurt-sumac sauce. Place all ingredients in a small bowl, stir well, and set aside or chill until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the oil. Mix with your hands and then shape into burgers, each weighing about 1½ oz.
3. Pour 1-2 Tbsp oil into a large frying pan. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear the meatballs in batches on all sides. Cook each batch for about 4 minutes, adding oil as needed, until golden brown.
4. Carefully transfer seared meatballs to a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil.  Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the sauce spooned over or on the side.