Sides
Dolmades for Greek Easter
If you thought that the Easter fun was over far too soon, not to fear! Greek Easter is this coming Sunday, and awash with delicious traditions all its own. Not to be missed are these tasty little pockets of meat, rice, and nuts, expertly seasoned with our savory and tangy El Greco blend. They’re called “dolmas” in the singular, and “dolmades” when referring to the scores of them you’ll eat once you’ve had a taste of their perfect balance of Mediterranean flavors, all wrapped in a convenient little two-bite gnosh. All of the ingredients ought to be readily available in most markets, including grape leaves, which often come in cans or jars. If you’ve got a grape vine over an arbor, fresh work wonderfully, too; just poach them a bit of salted water with a half a lemon thrown in. Admittedly a little time-consuming, the dolmades can be prepared 2 to 3 days before serving, and refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready to use them. If you do freeze them, they can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator, and gently heated with a little broth or water before serving. You’ll find them more than worth the effort! Kalo Pascha!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet.
- Add onion and saute until translucent.
- Add meat, stirring to break up pieces.
- Add rice, dill, El Greco, pine nuts, water and tomato paste.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Cover the bottom of a Dutch oven with a layer of grape leaves.
- Stuff remaining leaves by placing leaf (shiny side down) on the palm of your hand, with the base of leaf the toward your wrist and tip pointing to your middle finger.
- Put a spoonful of meat mixture in center.
- Fold the base of the leaf over the filling, then fold sides of leaf over (like an envelope), tucking the edges in snugly
- Arrange, tip side down, (to prevent unrolling) in the Dutch oven.
- Add broth to Dutch oven within 1 inch of top layer of stuffed grape leaves.
- Use any left over leaves to cover top layer.
- Place a heat-proof plate upside down over the top layer of dolmas, and press firmly.
- Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice and cook 5 minutes longer.
- Let cool to room temperature, or chill thoroughly.
- Serve garnished with lemon slices and a little greek yoghurt for dipping.
Rooster Spice Asparagus
Songkran (สงกรานต์) is the traditional Thai New Year water festival which starts on April 13 every year. Traditionally, the throwing of water is said to be a symbol of luck to bring good rain for the crops. Well, we are swimming in good luck with a bountiful asparagus harvest this year and a brand new spice blend, Rooster Spice! We designed this spicy chili powder drawing inspiration from Indonesian sambal, Thai nam phrik, and Vietnamese tuong ot toi. Rooster Spice has limitless possibilities but here we combine the seasonality of asparagus with the celebration of Thai New Year. Enjoy!
Rooster Spice Asparagus
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a deep saute pan, gently heat oil to 375 degrees
- Bring 4 quarts of heavily salted water to a rolling boil
- Add asparagus, cook for 50 seconds
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water to shock, then dry thoroughly
- In a medium bowl, mix egg yolks with flour, cornstarch, Rooster Spice and beer, taking care not to over mix
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs whites to soft peaks
- Fold egg whites, very gently, into egg yolk mixture
- Do not over mix or allowed batter to sit too long
- Toss asparagus with a few tablespoons of flour, shaking to remove excess
- Dredge in batter and fry in oil, until golden and crisp
- Season with Sel de Mer, a squeeze of lemon, or a generous dousing of malt vinegar
- Serve in newspaper cones
Lemon Thyme Rhubarb Cake
Tart, sweet and dramatically red, rhubarb never tasted so good in this Lemon Thyme Rhubarb cake. The cake is moist and fluffy on the inside with a slight crisp on the outside edge. The sharpness of the rhubarb combined with the delicate pungency of the lemon thyme make this a most wonderful offering of spring’s bountiful harvest.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan or cast-iron pan
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, add rhubarb, sugar and water
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb has softened
- Strain, reserve juice
- Set rhubarb aside to cool while you make the rest of the cake
- Cream butter and sugar together until smooth
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition (batter should look light and fluffy)
- Gently mix in the baking powder, salt, lemon thyme and flour - be careful not to over mix
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top of the batter
- Spoon the rhubarb compote over the top of the batter
- Using a butter knife, swirl the compote through the cake batter, being careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the reserved rhubarb compote juice over the top
- Sprinkle with the rest of the lemon thyme and sugar
- Bake 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean
- Serve warm or room temperature
- Enjoy with more of the rhubarb compote mixed with whipped cream or Greek yogurt, served on the side
Roasted Quail Feast for Valentines Day
Exotic, aromatic and romantic we prepared this intimate feast with a table for two in mind. Succulent quail are roasted to perfection with one of our most alchemical blends: Ras el Hanout, which contains a hint of Moroccan rose petals and finished with a finger licking honey glaze. Our Wild Rice Pilaf accompaniment features the bold, classic flavor of cassia cinnamon while the Paradise Pistachio Relish combines grains of paradise and Aleppo to bring everything together for a memorable Valentine’s Day Feast, we’ll leave the desert up to you.
Honey Roasted Quail with Wild Rice Pilaf and Paradise Pistachio Relish
Ingredients
Instructions
- For the Brine - Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot.
- Once boiled, remove from heat and add sugar and salt.
- Stir until sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Add enough ice to bring water volume to 1 gallon
- Once the brine has cooled, add quail and spices and refrigerate for 2 1/2 hours
- Preheat over to 450 degrees
- Remove quail from brine and pat dry with paper towels Set aside to bring to room temperature, about 30-40 minutes
- While quail are setting, melt butter in a small skillet
- Add Ras el Hanout, whisk and remove from heat
- Apply butter/Ras el Hanout mixture liberally to quail
- Roast quail, preferably on a grill rack, for 12-17 minutes
- While the quail roasts, prepare the glaze:
- In a small saucepan, heat honey and coriander over medium heat, stirring often, until honey is reduced by half, about 8 minutes
- Discard coriander seeds
- With a pastry brush, glaze the roasted quail with honey.
- Finish with Sel de Mer
- Serve with rice pilaf and pistachio relish (recipes below)
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, brink stock to boil
- Add rice, cinnamon stick and bay leaf
- Reduce heat and simmer until rice kernels open, about 45-50 minutes
- While rice cooks, saute onion on medium heat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes
- Add garlic to onions and continue sauteing until garlic is lightly browned
- When rice is nearly cooked, add onion/garlic mixture, and dates
- Cover and until the dates have dehydrated, about 10 minutes
- Season with salt to taste
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine pistachios, parsley, mint, garlic and lemon in a mixing bowl
- Slowly add olive oil, mixing as you go
- Add Aleppo, grains of paradise and salt
- Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour
Kala Masala Skillet Cornbread
This savory cornbread knocked our collective socks off at first bite. Our Kala Masala spice blend is a complex one, and that complexity of flavor transfers easily to the skillet cornbread. There’s a tiny bit of heat from some guajillo chiles in the blend that is balanced perfectly by a healthy dose of toasted coconut for sweetness. Try it with a fish, lentil or vegetable soup for maximum enjoyment!
Cast Iron is essential for crusty cornbread!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to get hot while you make the batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda and Kala Masala. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and the ¼ cup melted butter together.
- Take the hot cast iron skillet out of the oven, and add in the butter. Swirl it around until the butter starts to melt, being sure to tilt the pan to coat the sides and bottom evenly.
- Pour the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients and mix quickly, just until moistened. Do not overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cornbread until it’s golden brown, about 20 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven, and try to let it cool for a few minutes before you dive into it. Cut into 8 wedges.
Harissa and Vegetable Couscous
This recipe has been a long time coming. Hardly anyone who comes in to the shop — spice masters and novices alike — can pass over the North African section without some long, lingering sniffs. The spices from that region are so exotic, in their perfect union of sweet-spicy-aromatic. “How do you use the Harissa?” is one of the most common questions following the exclamations of delight, and though my fellow merchants and I have written versions of this recipe on many a business card, envelope, and scratch paper, it’s about time it took its place among our favorites here on the blog.
The tender-crisp vegetables and fluffy cous cous are a perfect vehicle for this sumptuous sauce; our version of the traditional Tunisian red pepper condiment that is so ubiquitous in Northern Africa. The cumin, coriander, and caraway add complexity and depth, with the guajillos lending just enough heat to be interesting without being overwhelming. You can also try the Harissa sauce on grilled meats or eggplant — or even on halibut!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- To make the Harissa – In a small saute pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When hot, add the chopped red onion, and saute until it starts to get a little color. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the tomato paste, roasted peppers, Harissa, garlic granules, 1/3 cup olive oil and red wine vinegar. Pulse until it’s still a little chunky. (You can also puree it until it’s smooth.)
- Transfer to a bowl and add salt to taste. Add the sauteed red onions and green onions and mix well. (You can prepare this ahead of time – let it get to room temperature before serving. If you have any leftovers, it will keep well in the refrigerator. This works well as a condiment to any meal.)
- To make the Couscous – In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add stock, dried apricots, squash, zucchini, cauliflower florets, chickpeas, turmeric, ginger powder and Aleppo pepper, stirring well. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Place the cover on the pot, reducing the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are tender, but still a bit crispy. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Then mix in the diced tomatoes, peas, cilantro and couscous. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. (This will cook the couscous.)
- Remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle some of the Harissa onto the couscous, serving the rest of the Harissa on the side.
Besar Cranberry Chutney
The rich and toasty taste of our Besar blend makes an ideal compliment for the pop of fresh cranberry flavor in this exotic twist on a holiday classic. The candied ginger and dried apricots round out the fruity flavors, and when you bring it all together, this chutney has a place well beyond the Thanksgiving table when the bounty of winter begins to fade. Go cranberries!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Put olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and, stirring frequently, cooking for about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. You might want to add more salt, vinegar or brown sugar.
- If you want a 'smoother' sauce, cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool, then put into a covered container in the refrigerator. This will keep for about a week.
Five Seed Roasted Potatoes
This fabulous twist on roasted potatoes generously comes to us from chef Jerry Traunfeld of Poppy restaurant here in Seattle. The spice mix is a version of Panch Phoron a.k.a. Bengali Five Spice, using ajwain seed in place of fennel. I made this for a celebratory Sunday evening feast after enjoying the sunny afternoon harvesting potatoes. Lots of love went into growing our potatoes this year and it was a joy to toss them with this exquisite mixture. Thanks, Jerry!
Five Seed Potatoes
Ingredients
Instructions
- Parboil whole potatoes until just tender, drain and slice in halves.
- In a small heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add brown mustard seeds. When they begn to pop, add fenugreek seeds and toast for a minute or two. Then add remaining seeds and toast for a few minutes more until all are browned.
- Toss toasted seeds and oil with potatoes, add 1/2 tsp. salt and roast on a sheet pan at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with another 1/2 tsp. of salt and serve.
- These flavorful potatoes make a lovely side dish alongside roasted meats, breakfast eggs or just about anything!
Berbere Ketchup
Most people here in the United States love their ketchup. There’s always a bottle in the refrigerator. It’s a must for french fries and a necessity for any barbecue. The problem with most commercially available ketchup is that they are too sweet. Want to know what’s in your ketchup? Use our simple recipe to make this version at home. We like our ketchup spicy, so we’ve added one of our favorite blends to it. Berbere is most commonly used in North African stews or roasted meats, but it has an affinity for ketchup. Whether you choose to keep it rustic or blend it smooth, both versions are sure to please. We like to keep some on hand all summer for dipping fries, topping burgers and hot dogs, or to use as a “secret ingredient” in BBQ sauces.
Be warned: This Berbere Ketchup is highly addictive!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put garlic and cut-up onion into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a deep saucepan over medium heat, add oil. When oil is hot, add onion/garlic mixture and sauté until lightly browned. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook until ketchup is thickened, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning.
- Take off heat. You can leave the texture “rustic” or you can puree it smoother in a blender. (Just be careful pureeing hot things – make sure the center plug has been removed from the top, and use a folded towel to cover the hole. Carefully hold towel down tightly while you puree the ketchup. Now you see why we like it rustic.)
- Transfer to a refrigerator-proof container. Allow to cool completely before covering. This will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks - but you will find excuses to use it before then. Trust us.
Classic Hummus
Hummus is one of those things best made fresh from scratch, and neither grocery store nor restaurant versions can compare. Served with crunchy veggies, olives, feta and warmed pita bread, hummus is always a crowd pleaser! Our hummus always comes to the table with a hearty sprinkle of spice right on top. Our taste-testers couldn’t agree on just one, so we recommend, Israeli Zahtar, Syrian Zahtar or Sumac.
Perfect hummus!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak garbanzo beans overnight. Discard soaking water, and place in a pot and cover with water by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender. Strain and reserve cooking liquid.
- Place all ingedients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add just enough of the cooking liquid to get the mixture moving. Process to desired consistency.
- Note: You can also substitute 2 15 oz. cans of garbanzo beans, drained, for this recipe - just use water in place of the cooking liquid.
- Garnish hummus with a sprinkle of sumac (or Israeli Zahtar or Syrian Zahtar) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. (This would be where you could use that good extra virgin olive oil you have.)
