From the Kitchen of...

Ok, here are the recipes of the two veggie dishes we made at Boulder's Tuv Ha'aretz' first cooking demo. Well, at least the first demo that I did for them. It was a great success - if you are interested in joining us for the next one, let me know.

Garlic Kale with Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh kale
2-5 cloves garlic, depending on your taste
1 large can chopped tomatoes, drained – save the juice
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
(capers)

Wash but don’t dry the kale. Rough chop it. Peel and slice garlic. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in sauté pan with a lid on medium high heat. Add garlic to the hot oil and let cook for a minute or two until aromatic but not brown. Add wet kale to pan, mix well then cover. Cook for a couple minutes, open lid, still kale, add tomatoes then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. If the kale seems dry, add a little saved tomato juice as needed. Add the vinegar, cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add capers, if you are using them. Serve hot, either as a side dish or on top of polenta or pasta.


Chili and Brown Sugar Glazed Green Beans with Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

for the beans:
1 lb fresh green beans
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs chili powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp vinegar, cider or white
salt to taste

for pumpkin seeds:
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ tsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp brown sugar

to make the beans:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, take the stems off the green beans. When water is boiling, drop beans in and blanch them, cooking just until they are bright green and lightly cooked. Remove from the hot water and cool quickly in very cold or ice water. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sugar, chili powder, and garlic. Cook until it is all hot and the sugar is starting to melt. Add the vinegar then the beans. Toss to coat. Cook a few minutes, until the beans are hot and glazed. Serve hot topped with the pumpkin seeds.Add the beans, toss to coat.
to make the pumpkin seeds:
Toss the seeds with oil then the chili and sugar. Put on a cookie sheet and bake in 400 degree oven until they start to brown. Be careful, they go from lightly brown to burned very quickly.

Enjoy and cook well. Eat well. Yeah.

Loving Cucumbers...And Fish?

Ok, another for today. Here is a recipe for a cucumber relish that goes great with the fish recipe that follows. Of course, it also goes great with pretty much any other summer meal - salad, chicken, tofu, burgers. Just try it, you'll find many uses for it.

Cucumber Lemon Relish
1 cup finely diced peeled cucumber
2 lemons
¼ cup finely diced red onion
1/8 cup finely diced fennel
2 Tablespoons chopped fennel fronds (or parsley)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and supreme the lemons (remove the lemon sections without any pith) then chop the lemon segments. Add to the other ingredients, mix gently. This can hold in the fridge for several hours.

Picnic Tilapia with Cucumber Dipping Sauce

for fish:
1-2 tilapia filets per person
beaten egg
1 cup flour
2 tbs sesame seed
ground cumin
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
olive oil for cooking

for dipping sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbs finely minced cucumber
dash of toasted sesame oil
cumin, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne to taste

for fish:
Cut each filet in half along the body line. Mix together the flour and the spices, adjusting quantity to your taste. Usually a small dash of cayenne is enough to and heat without making it too spicy. I like a lot of cumin and garlic. Put flour on flat plate. Heat a pan with enough oil to coat the bottom. Dip each filet in the egg then coat with the flour mixture then cook fish until brown on both sides. Remove to a plate or cookie sheet and refrigerate until cold. Handle the fish with care while hot as it is a tender fish; it will firm up when cold.

for sauce:
Mix all the ingredients together, adjust seasonings. Keep cold until ready to serve.

Anticipating Tomatoes...and Lamb

There is nothing that says summer quite as well as fresh, juicy, really ripe tomatoes. Red, orange, or yellow, it is the sweet, tangy juiciness that makes them so good. If you are lucky enough to have an overabundance check out the Ball Blue Book for canning tips and recipes. If you have just the right amount for eating and want to do something other than BLT sandwiches (or FLT - fakin, lettuce, and tomatoes as we eat in our house) and caprese salads, try this. The name says it all. There are no quantities here, be brave and make it how you like it.

This goes great with the next recipe, lamb kofte kebabs (sans feta, of course, for those who keep kosher.) Serve with some simple saffron rice or cous-cous and a grated carrot with cumin salad and you've got a summer meal to remember.

Oh, if you don't have heirloom tomatoes, use what you've got - but they must be *really* summer ripe ones. And if you don't like watermelon, use honeydew or casaba or galia. And if you don't eat dairy, leave out the feta and adjust your salt accordingly.

Heirloom Tomato, Watermelon and Feta Salad
with Mint and Orange Blossom Water

heirloom tomatoes
watermelon (or honeydew if you can’t get watermelon)
feta cheese
fresh mint leaves
orange blossom water
olive oil or almond oil
salt and pepper

Cut tomatoes and an equal quantity of melon into bite-sized chunks. Crumble feta into large crumbles. Chiffonade mint. Gently toss together all the ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning. This goes great with spicy dishes.

Lamb Kofte Kebabs

bamboo skewers for grilling, soaked for at least an hour
1 lb ground lamb meat (you can substitute beef, turkey, or chicken but the meat must not be too lean or it won't hold together properly)
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika (these days you can get this at any grocery store)
1-2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
dash of ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
several grinds of fresh black peppers
1 egg

Mix all ingredients together until everything is incorporated but avoid kneading the meat or handling excessively as it will get tough. Form into small, egg shaped meatballs and skewer. Cook on a hot grill until well done but before the meat gets hard. Turn so the balls cook evenly. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Delicious!