We know walnuts are good for the brain and the heart, chili good for joint, pomegranate for the kidney, olive oil for everything.  Which make this spread the appetizer for the body and the soul.

Mohammara

make 4 cups

1     medium onion, coarsely chopped

1     large red bell pepper, seeds removed and coarsely chopped

1     cup walnuts

4    slices couple days old white bread

1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup Harrisa, red pepper spread *

1/4 cup olive oil

1      tablespoon freshly ground coriander

1      tablespoon freshly ground cumin

-Place the onion, the pepper, the walnut and the white bread in a food processor and process, using the on and the off bottom, until you have coarse mixture.

-Add the rest of the rest of the ingredients and process for extra round.  You should have smooth spread with beautiful red color.

*Harrisa: A red hot pepper paste.  You can find it at specialty stores.  If you can not find it, you can use 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon tomato paste.

This salad will excite any discriminating taste bud. It is vegan and gluten free. It can be used as spread, as salad or as side dish.

Ingredients

2       cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2  medium red onion, chopped

1       red bell pepper, chopped

1       yellow bell pepper, chopped

1       jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/2  cup finely chopped fresh fennel, optional

1/2  cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2   teaspoon crushed red pepper

1        cup pomegranate juice

1        clove garlic, pierced with fork

1/4    cup walnut oil

1/4    cup lemon juice

zest of one lemon

3         tablespoons pomegranate molasses

salt to taste

-Place the pomegranate juice, the clove of garlic, the crushed red pepper in a class bowl.  Add the walnuts and allow them to marinate for 30 minutes.

-Drain the walnuts, place in a salad bowl and discard the pomegranate juice and the garlic.

-Add the onion, the chopped peppers and the fennel.  Toss the walnuts with the vegetables gently.

-In a separate bowl, whisk walnut oil with the lemon juice, the pomegranate molasses, the lemon zest and the salt.  Pour this dressing over the walnut mixture and toss until well coated.

-Sprinkle the cilantro over the walnuts mixture and serve.

By the way,the word hummous does not mean spread as everyone think, and as such, you find pepper hummous, avocado hommous and so on. Hummous is what garbanzo bean are called in Arabic.

http://www.youtube.com/user/sanaacooks#p/u/0/3MYt_XyjNcc

Here is my or my mom’s recipe done my way.

Hummous

makes 3 cups

6      cloves garlic

3      cups cooked garbanzo beans with 1 cup of the cooking water

1/2  cup tahini

1/2  cup lemon juice

1/2  teaspoon freshly ground cumin

salt to taste

-In a food processor, place the garlic, the garbanzo beans and the cooking water.  Processes for couple minutes or until the beans are very soft.

-Add the rest of the ingredients and belend well until the hummous is well mixed.

-Chill over night and serve with pita bread, crackers or pita chips.

In Italy, various vegetable colors are used to color pasta—spinach for green, tomatoes for red, and even octopus ink for black pasta.

But all such colors are available in the stores here in America so there’s no need to use vegetables or other natural products with which to color eggs.  I think that’s unfortunate, because I would suppose that using natural colors would be of some interest to children during Easter time.

Research  tells us that beets originally came from plants in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.  The first mention of these sea plants appeared in an Assyrian text describing their planting in the hanging gardens of Babylon around 800 B.C.  Babylon.  The ancient Greeks presented beets as one of their offerings to the sun god Apollo.  The earliest Greek name for beets was “teutlon,” most likely because their foliage resembled squid tentacles.   Roman writers noted a variety of different colors in the leaves of beets.  Until the 3^rd century, people concentrated on the leaves of beets and left the root alone.  Then, the Romans began using the roots for medicinal purposes.  They were used as a curative broth to treat fevers and other ailments.  The first mention of using beet roots in cooking was in a cookbook in the fifth century A.D. written by Marcus Gavius Apicius, a Roman gourmet.

One supposes that while boiling the entire beet plant so the leaves could be used, someone tasted the broth, which came mostly from the root.  Accidents abound in history, and we can imagine that is how beet roots as food came about.

One also imagines that the Romans took the beet plant to every corner of their empire, which resulted in the spread of beets throughout Europe, which were then referred to as, “Roman beets.” 

While Europeans used the root during the Middle Ages, the leaf, called “selg,” or “silq,” began being used in the Middle East in dishes that featured the leaves cooked in various ways.  There are dishes in Lebanon and Syria that still use either beet leaves or swiss chard, a relative,–mixed with black-eyed peas or bulgur wheat– and which are called, “silq.”

The beet fell into obscurity for a time in the Middle Ages until an Italian physician and gourmand, Bartolomeo Sacchi, wrote a book entitled, “On Right Pleasure and Good Health.”  It was the first modern Italian diet and cookbook.  He described using the leaves of the beet for sauce, and the root for sweetening one’s breath after eating garlic.  From that time onward, agronomists began experimenting with beet roots to improve the variety.  German gardeners were credited with developing beets which are the closest to their present form.  From Germany, the use of beets in cooking spread to Poland, Russia and the Baltic countries.  Borscht soup is famous for the use of beets.

A Russian chemist, Andreas Marggraf, discovered that crystals from syrup extracted from Silesian beets were identical to crystals obtained from sugar cane.  But the German were the first to plant and process beet specifically to produce sugar.  From there, sugar beets were developed, replacing sugar cane which grew only in the tropics. 

Sugar beet cultivation started in the America in the 1830s, when German and French immigrants arrived bringing the necessary technology with them.

In the Levant (Lebanon, Syria and Jordan), pickled white turnips and cabbage are turned pink with the addition of a partial beet root in the jar.  Here couple recipes for turnips that I hope you will try and enjoy.

Beet Spread

Serves 4

Two    beets, boiled and grated

Two    tablespoons tahini*

Two    cloves garlic, mashed

One fourth     cup lemon juice

Salt to taste

-In a chilled salad bowl, whisk tahini, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice and salt.

-Fold the grated beets and adjust the seasonings.  If the mixture is too thick add a little water or lemon juice. 

*Tahini is pureed sesame seeds.  Tahini is available in most grocery stores.

Cabbage and Beet Salad

Serves 4

One     pound beet, boiled and peeled

Two    cups shredded white cabbage

One     cup chopped white part of the fennel

Four    tablespoons olive oil

Three  tablespoons lemon juice

One     cloves garlic, mashed

One fourth     tablespoon crushed anise seeds

Salt to taste

-Slice the beets into thin round.

-In a large salad bowl, toss cabbage and fennels.  Add the sliced beets.

-Whisk olive oil with lemon juice, garlic, anise and salt. 

-Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently.

While with tomatoes we all know how to make salsa, salads with tomatoes in them, etc., I will leave them alone in this column and concentrate on the other vegetables that present problems of abundance.

An easy way to retain fresh herbs, such as sweet basil, peppermint, and oregano, is to wash and thoroughly air-dry each separate batch of herbs, then mix one cup of the herb you are preserving with one cup of olive oil, and puree with one quarter teaspoon of salt.  Put them in a sterilized jar and refrigerate overnight, or for about six hours.  This allows the herbs to settle to the bottom with the olive oil rising to the top.  Stirring the next day homogenizes the mixture and it will not separate again.  Leave the jar in the refrigerator to use during the winter when there are no longer any fresh herbs.  For example, if you are making tomato sauce for pasta, use one tablespoon of the preserved basil and oil mixture and add it to the sauce.  You will find that the flavor is extremely intense, as though you have added fresh basil.  The same is true for all of the herbs you preserve this way.

Another way is to wash and air-dry a mixture of basil, sage, oregano and thyme, then mixing the herbs together and wrapping about a quarter cup of this mixture in a five inch square of cheesecloth.  It should be tied tightly, placed in a plastic freezer bag and frozen for use in soup during the winter months.  Dropping the cheesecloth into the soup gives it all the flavor you want, and before serving, you simply throw away the cheesecloth and the herbs, which have provided all the flavor they intend to by the time you discard the mixture.

For zucchini and eggplant, cut the vegetable into one inch cubes, spray them with olive oil spray, and then broil in the oven until they are golden brown.  When they’ve cooled, put enough for your family’s meal into a freezer bag and freeze them.  In the winter, when you’re making a soup, stew, or pasta, simply open the freezer bag and dump the mixture into your soup pot.

Another method is to slice lengthwise the zucchini or eggplant and spray them with olive oil spray, broil them on each side until they’re golden brown, allow them to cool then freeze each kind of vegetable separately.  This method allows you to use them in vegetarian lasagna, vegetarian pizza, or marinate them as a side dish. 

As well, pierce an eggplant a couple of times with a fork, then either grill it or broil it for about fifteen minutes on each side.  Allow it to cool, then peel the skin, and mash the pulp inside into a paste, which will have a smoked flavor.  Put the result in a freezer bag and freeze.  I will give you a recipe below for what is called, “vegetarian caviar” made from the eggplant preserved this way.

Another way to preserve zucchini is to cut a zucchini in half lengthwise, drop it into salted boiling water, and allow it to boil for five minutes.  Remove it from the water and with a teaspoon, remove the pulp and freeze enough for a family meal in separate freezer bags.  In the winter, put the contents of a bag on a baking tray, cut side up, stuff them with meat, or your choice of stuffing, and cover with a tomato sauce or a white cheese sauce.  Once baked—for about five minutes—you have a gourmet dish ready for your family.

Here are the recipes that will help you use the food you’ve prepared:

Eggplant Caviar:

Makes about 2 cups

2               large eggplants

2              cloves garlic, mashed

1               tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup  finely chopped parsley

-Pierce each eggplants several places and then grill or broil about 10 minutes on each side.

-Remove from the grill, allow to cool, and then mash with a fork into smooth paste.

-Mix in the rest of the ingredients, cover and refrigerate for couple hours before serving. 

Up-side Down Eggplant Mold

Serves 6-8

3          large eggplants

1         pound frozen soy protein

2        cups medium grain Chinese rice

6        tablespoons olive oil

1/4      cup slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted

salt and pepper to taste

-Peel two eggplants, and then cut lengthwise into half-inch thick slices.

-Place the eggplants on a cookie sheet, spray with olive oil spray and broil until golden brown.  Turn to other side, spray and broil until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

-Peel and cut the third eggplant into half-inch cubes, place in a colander, and sprinkle with salt.  Allow the cubes to rest for 30 minutes.  Squeeze the cubes gently to remove excess water, and place on a cookie sheet.  Spray with olive oil spray and broil until brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

-In a heavy medium pot, heat the olive oil, and then sauté the soy protein  for 3 minutes. Remove half of the soy protein and set on the side.  Add the eggplant cubes to the rest of the soy protein along with four and half cups of water.  Bring water to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

-Add the rice to the boiling water, cover and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

-Place the saved cooked soy protein on the bottom of a bundt cake pan.  Line the cake pan with the broiled eggplant slices.  Make sure they overlap to cover the soy protein and form kind of lining for the cake pan. 

-Scoop the cooked rice mixture inside the eggplant mold and press gently.

-Place a flat serving dish, which is at least 2-inches wider than the cake pan, over the cake pan, and then, holding the serving plate with one hand, and with the other hand under the cake pan, turn the pan upside down as fast as you can manage it.

-Leave the pan on top of the plate for couple minutes; then after it’s removed, you will have a nice eggplant mold.

-Sprinkle the toasted almond over and around the mold.

Although it is most widely used now in Italy, it was at first distrusted by Italians.  The Italian name for eggplant, melanzana, came from the Latin melum and insanummeaning “unhealthy apple.” The mistrust was over come during the Renaissance and is now one of the most widely used vegetable in the Mediterranean regions.  Its dense and satisfying texture made it a good substitute for meat, which was unaffordable to most people in the Mediterranean.

Although the most common eggplant sold in America is the large, dark purple teardrop shaped variety, there now exists a greater choice of varieties.  The Japanese eggplant is smaller and more elongated.  A small, white eggplant has been developed that is sometimes used in the Middle East.  There is also a dark orange and small Thai eggplant that is sold mainly in Asian produce markets.

One of the funniest folk tales in Lebanon and Syria is about eggplant, which holds that there is a male eggplant and female eggplant.  On the bottom of the so-called male eggplant, there is a small extension that is bitter to taste.  The female eggplant has a depression on the bottom and more round in shape and, of course, is sweeter to taste.

My father, who is a farmer in Syria, does not accept that theory, claims that an eggplant that is dark burgundy in color, is full of seeds which makes it more bitter in taste.  The blacker the eggplant (or the darker purple) means that it is sweeter.  The easiest way for you, if you do not trust the male-female theory, is to make certain that the skin of the eggplant is smooth, shiny and firm. It should feel heavy when you hold it which means there are fewer seeds.

Eggplant Caviar, Baba Ghanouj

makes 3 cups

2      one pound eggplants

1/2  cup green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2  cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

1     clove garlic, mashed

2    tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

-Pierce the eggplant with a fork in few places.

-To get the best smoked flavor, place on a charcoal grill, turning so tha all sides are charred.  Grill eggplant unti the skin begins to blister and the pulp is soft.  Remove from the heat, cool and peel the skin.  Discard the skin and mash the pulp.

-Mix all ingredients and refrigerate couple hours before serving.

-The spread is usually served in a shallow dish with pita chips.

And we might wonder why such a plethora of vegetables doesn’t exist with hard to find shiitake mushrooms, or French truffles, for example.  But since we are blessed, or stuck, as the case may be, with plenty of zucchini, it might be helpful to know how to use the great quantity that’s available during the summer.

Food historians tell us that zucchini came from the New World, and from here to the Old World in the sixteenth century after discovery of the Americas by Europeans.  The minute it arrived in Italy, the rest, as we say, is history.  It was first discovered in Northeast Mexico as a domesticated plant, and later in the Midwestern United States.

When the Zucchini got to the Mediterranean, it was magic. That will be part 2 in the Zucchini saga. Until then, I will leave you with this recipe.

Marinated Zucchini

serves 4

4       zucchini

1/4  cup olive oil

2       tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus whole leaves, to garnish

2      tablespoons white wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

-Cut the zucchini into thin round slices.

-Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide heavy saucepan.  Fry the zucchini in batches, for 4-6 minutes, until tender and brown around the edges.

-Transfer the zucchini to a bowl.  Season well.

-Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the mint and vinegar and let it bubble for a few seconds.

-Pour the marinade over the zucchini.

-Marinate for 1 hour, then serve garnished with mint.