Farmers' Market Friday - A Way with Watermelon {Kicked Up Watermelon Feta Salad}

Growing up in South Texas, watermelon was a beloved summer treat. Back in those days, there wasn't much choice when it came to the fruit. They were giant, ovular fruits, striped with the light and darker green and riddled with seeds. Due to their enormous size, chilling one down usually meant that Honey (my dad) would get out the old cooler, fill it with ice and ice water, put the melon in there and wait....and wait....until finally his sixth sense would tell him that it was cold enough. We'd lug that melon inside and he'd pull out his giant carving knife and slice off thick slabs of melon. A quick shake of salt on the melon flesh, and then,  we'd either take the wedges outside to eat, allowing the juice to run down our faces and seeing who could spit their seeds the farthest, or, I'd have a big circle slab on a large plate and go to work with a melon baller. As a kid, there was something magical about those little balls scooped fresh from the melon. 

Today, of course, seedless melons are readily available and the sizes are completely refrigerator sized as well (not to mention relatively tiny personal sized melons, too.) There also seems to have been an explosion of recipes using melon in inventive ways - soups, drinks, salads, relishes - you name it, and there is probably a melon recipe for it.

Considering our recent virtual culinary trip to the Levant and thinking of a "medi-eastern" influence again, for this week's Farmer's Market Friday offering, we'll use watermelon in yet another light, refreshing and surprising salad.

For this recipe, the ingredients from the market include:

• watermelon
• Olive oil

Kicked up Watermelon and Feta Salad

• 6 C watermelon cubes
• 1/4-1/3 C mint, finely chopped
• 1/3 C olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tsp Sriracha sauce
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper and Sriracha sauce.
2. Add watermelon and mint. Stir to coat with the dressing. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta and serve.

The sweetness of the watermelon is highlighted by the tart lemon, the saltiness of the feta and the wonderful mint. Add in that sweet hot kick from the Sriracha and you've got a lovely salad to go along side some chicken kabobs or grilled lamb chops. 

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Farmers' Market Friday - Crisp, Fresh, and Savory {Fattoush Salad}

When last we met here in this space, we were spending a little time in the Levant - that geographic and cultural area of the Eastern Mediterranean - what I like to refer to as Medi-Eastern. The farmers' market is full of tomatoes and cucumbers and they are the central components of this most delicious, refreshing salad. Paired with last week's FMF dish of Baba Ghannouj and perhaps some grilled kabobs and you're set for a Medi-Eastern inspired feast.

For this recipe the items from the market include:

• luscious, ripe tomatoes- I used a mix of both yellow and red
• crisp, juicy and flavorful cucumbers
• onions and garlic - I used some garlic and some purple onions that I had picked up at the market a while back and hoarded stored in a cool, dry, place; unsure of current availability status - if you can grab some of that glorious garlic and super fab. onions.
• whole wheat pitas from Artisan Oven
• Olive oil from Central Texas Olive Ranch

Fattoush Salad 

• 2-3 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 3-4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 C minced onion (your choice what type)
• 1/2 C fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1/3 C Olive oil
• 1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 pita breads (about 7 in diameter)
• 4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F and bake pita breads until crisp and lightly browned to make crispy chip. (about 10 minutes).
2. Toss together in a large bowl: cucumber, tomatoes, onion and herbs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt to taste. Whisk until completely emulsified (mixture will appear creamy yellow).
4. Pour dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss well. Add crumbled pita toasts and feta cheese. Toss again and enjoy immediately.

We love this salad. The fresh vegetables and herbs are delicious when highlighted by the brightness and zinginess of the lemony dressing. Add the crispiness of the toasted pita and the salty tang of that feta and I could just eat truck loads of this stuff! I have taken to making a big giant batch and only adding the toasted pita bits to each individual serving so that it is crisp and ready to go and totally avoids the sogginess that can happen if you toss it together ahead of time. Also, as I've mentioned before, the recipe for this dish varies by family in the region. With that in mind, feel free to leave out herbs that aren't your favorites or to add other appropriate vegetables - diced green pepper would be a great addition, for example.

Try out this Summer cooler at your home and take an imaginary trip to an exotic land.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Farmers' Market Friday - Focused on Levantine Cuisine {Baba Ghannouj}

Ba-ba gha-what?  That's exactly what I thought the first time I was introduced to this food item. This Texas Girl did not grow up knowing anything at all about Middle Eastern food. It wasn't until I married and lived for 2 years in the Northeast, that I came to be introduced to, what is now, one of my favorite types of cuisine. My husband, El Syd, grew up in Brooklyn and spent his youth enjoying all of the wide varieties of food from around the globe that are available in both Brooklyn and in NYC. It was a treat to have him take me to explore new foods that made my taste buds dance and to see how surprised he was to find out that I'd never had those foods before. 

Foods from the region are sometimes referred to as Levantine cuisine. The Levant refers to the geographical and cultural areas of the Eastern Mediterranean - the modern political areas of Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Palestine which mark the crossroads of Western Asia, Eastern Mediterranean and Africa. The word 'levant' comes from the French meaning 'rising' and refers to the point where the sun rises (or, in general, to the East of Europe.) The most distinctive dishes in this cuisine are the "mezze"(from the Turkish word for snack, taste or relish). They are small dishes served in the region for breakfast, lunch or even, in some cases, as part of a dinner spread. 

Summer happens to be when many of the integral ingredients for these dishes are in season - at the height of flavor and availability. Items like melons, eggplant, cucumber, tomatoes and okra can be found in a wide range of "medi-eastern" dishes. We've been eating a lot of dishes from this region and in the next couple of FMF posts, we'll focus on dishes from the Levantine region that might have you using vegetables you don't frequently use or in ways you've not used them before.

First up is a delicious, smoky dish of mashed eggplant mixed with olive oil and a variety of seasonings - Baba Ghannouj which, in Arabic, means "father of coquetry" and has been interpreted to mean that it was developed by members of a harem. I'm not going to lie, between the sound of the name (ba-ba gha-noosh) and  the look of the completed dish, it could use some better PR. However, I promise if you give it a try it makes for a fabulous starter to or a part of a full Levantine meal.

Market Shopping list: 

• Eggplants - various produce farmers
• Garlic (if you can still get a hold of this from the market, do it - best garlic ever)
• Pita from Artisan Oven (delicious whole wheat pita!)
• Olive oil from Central Texas Olive Ranch

Baba Ghannouj (or Baba Ghanoush or one of the other seemingly hundreds of ways to spell this)

• 3 medium sized eggplant
• 1/2 C tahini (roasted sesame paste which can be found on the international aisle at many supermarkets)
• 1 Tsp coarse salt
• 3 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely finely minced
• 1/8 Tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Prick each eggplant skin in several locations (this will keep it from exploding when you roast it.) Char the outside of the eggplants directly over the flame of a gas-burner - or- you can char them under the broiler in your oven. 
3. Once charred, place the eggplants on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes (or more) until they are completely soft. You should be able to poke them with a sharp knife and meet no resistance at all.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
5. Split open the eggplant and scrape the pulp from the skins. Discard skins. Using the blending appliance of your choice (mine is an immersion blender) blend the puree with all of the other ingredients until smooth.
6. Taste and season with additional salt and/or lemon juice to suit your taste. Chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with toasted pita, crackers, sliced baguette or even vegetable sticks. Enjoy!

Baba ghannouj can be made up to five days in advance of serving and kept refrigerated until needed. Also, like so many other regional dishes, the ingredients and proportions vary from family to family - so feel free to experiment with the recipe to make it your own. One variation adds cumin (aka cominos) to the mix, but be careful and add just a smidge as it shouldn't overpower the delicateness of the eggplant.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

A Levantine Treat - Sabih

The Levant, from the French meaning 'rising' and referring to the point where the sun rises or East in general, is the geographic and cultural area of the Eastern Mediterranean. This area consisting of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Cyprus and parts of southern Turkey is the geographic crossroads of Western Asia, Eastern Mediterranean and Africa. It is rich with history and, due to its location, it is a veritable treasure trove of ingredients and recipes.

Growing up in Central Texas, foods from this region were not a common occurrence. Italian food? yes. Chinese foods? (albeit very traditionally Americanized) check. Down-home favorites? yessiree. French food? mais oui. German specialties? Ja! Mexican? Claro, que si. But these Medi-Eastern foods were not widely known to me. Perhaps only at the Institute of Texan Cultures Folklife Festival each year could good samples from that region be found. 

When I married El Syd and moved to the Northeast, I was game to try as many different things as I could and he was ready to be my guide to foods that were commonplace to him as he grew up in Brooklyn and took trips into "The City"  My first foray into Middle Eastern cuisine was in a little shop called "Shawarma King" in Brookline, MA. An amazing plate of food was had there - tender grilled chicken, fattoush salad, flat bread, a garlic paste that was out of this world to smear on everything - just amazing. I was hooked. 

On a recent gift day, El Syd gave me "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. This is one fabulous cookbook filled with not only amazing recipes, but also incredible photographs of the people, markets, restaurants and foods of this historic city.

Faced with quite a few eggplants in my biweekly CSA share, I started to search for a new way to use them. That's when I happened upon Sabih which was developed by Iraqi Jews in the 1950's, but epitomizes the melting pot of cultures that are in the area with bits and pieces that are Arab, Sephardic, Israeli, and Jewish Yemeni.

Sabih (adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook)

• 2 large eggplants (about 2 lbs total)
• 1 1/4 C canola oil
• 4 fresh pita bread/flat breads
• 1 C Tahini sauce (can be found canned on the shelf in the international section of many grocery stores; some fancier markets have it fresh in the cold case)
• 4 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled and cut into thick slices or quartered
• 4 Tbsp. zhoug (recipe to follow)
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes cut into 1/2 in. dice
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 in dice
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel away strips of the eggplant skins from stem to blossom end. (like a zebra). Leaving part of the skin on gives some structure but eliminates, what can sometimes be, the leatheriness of a solid ring of eggplant skin.
2. Cut both eggplants, cross-wise, into 1 in. thick slices. Sprinkle both sides with salt and allow to stand on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes to help leech out the moisture. Use paper towels to wipe them.
3. Heat oil in a wide frying pan. Carefully fry the eggplant slices in batches. You want them nice and dark. Turn them once, frying for a total of about 6 minutes. (You will need to add oil as you cook multiple batches. The eggplants are very spongelike and soak up quite a bit of the cooking oil.) Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
4. Make a chopped salad by mixing together the tomato, cucumber, green onions and parsley. Dress with lemon juice and oil and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
5. To serve: Place 1 pita on each plate. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of tahini over each slice, then arrange the eggplant slices on top. Drizzle with a bit more tahini. Add egg slices on top of eggplant. Drizzle with more tahini and add some zhoug. Serve with the chopped salad on the side or on top if you prefer.

Note: The eggplant, when fried, takes on a luxurious, silky texture. It is amazingly delicious. However, it takes a tanker truck full of oil to cook up all of the eggplant slices. We tested a grilled or broiled eggplant instead and, while it wasn't as perfect as the oil-fried eggplant, it was a serviceable and much more health conscious substitution. 

zhoug 

• 1 bunch of cilantro - stems and leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 bunch flat-leafed parsley - stems and leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 hot green chilies, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp each of the following: 
• ground cumin
• ground cardamom
• ground cloves
• white sugar
• salt
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp water

1. Toss all of the ingredients into a small food processor (of if using an immersion blender a deep cup that the blender will fit into)
2. Pulse a few times until mixture is a coarse paste.
3. Can be stored in a sterilized jar in the fridge for up to 5 weeks.

I love fried eggplant. I love hard-boiled eggs. I love tahini and I love chopped salad. I cannot adequately express how fabulous these thing are all put together into this meal. The eggplant is a creamy delicious base for the egg, tahini and that spicy zhoug. The brightness of the chopped salad dressed in lemon and oil is the perfect accompaniment and cuts some of the richness of the other elements of the dish. We really loved it and I'm already looking forward to my next "trip" to the Levant.

Happy Cooking!

sld