Roasted green wheat is a whole grain, with superior nutritional qualities (iron, protein, calcium, minerals galore) and a chewiness and smokey flavor unlike anything you will ever taste. It is available at all Middle-Eastern stores and online. It is also produced in the US and Australia. It is called freekeh and is an ancient food in the Near-East.

One day, the western world will discover this grain and it will be sold everywhere. For now, though, it is still virtually unknown.

One word of caution: Wash it well and watch for bits of stones and debris. It is still prepared in an artisanal fashion, with some brands better than others. Look for plump and clean-looking grains, if possible.

This is wheat that has been smoked and harvested early.

It lends itself to all kinds of dishes; traditionally in the Levant, it is prepared with chicken or lamb shanks and as a soup.

It is terrific as a salad; you can feed it to a carnivore and he or she will feel totally satiated. It is a rustic and hearty grain.

INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

• 1 cup of freekeh or roasted green wheat
• 1 onion, chopped
• Olive oil, as needed
• 1 can of crabmeat, drained
• 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed in a mortar with a dash of salt
• 4 large tomatoes, dunked in boiling water for 30 seconds and peeled
• 1/2 cup of chopped parsley and cilantro
• 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper or paprika
• 1/4 cup of olives, chopped

METHOD:

1. Place the green wheat in a bowl and run some cold tap water on it to cover; let it sit and drain, looking for small rocks or debris to discard. Do this a couple times to be on the safe side.
2. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and fry the chopped onions till light golden, about 15 minutes. Add the drained green wheat and stir a bit to coat the grains in olive oil. Add 1 1/2 cup of water and cover the pan. Keep it on medium heat for about 20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender but still firm. If too tough, add 1/2 cup of water and cook a bit longer. Cool.
3. Drop the tomatoes in a few cups of boiling water to loosen their skins and peel them. Cut the top part off and remove the flesh and seeds with a grapefruit spoon. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt. Set aside.
4. Place the green wheat mixture in a bowl; add the minced herbs, garlic, flesh from the tomatoes (diced), crabmeat and season with the juice of a lemon and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add some paprika and taste to adjust seasoning. Transfer the salad to the tomatoes and cover with the tomato tops. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Keep any leftover salad in a bowl, covered.

NOTE: You can substitute wheat berries for the roasted green wheat, however, add more water (2 to 1 volume) and cook the berries longer.

The reason for the summer title is because this dish used to appear every week  at our table when the first heat waves of summer were felt, because it is eaten at room temperature.

Plus it is entirely vegan.

I hated it as a kid; it reminded me of the eggplants we were served at the nun school, big greasy slices of fried eggplant staring at me that I would discreetly slip into the pocket of my school uniform.

Later on, of course, I grew to love it; if you have similar recollections involving eggplant, this is the one dish that might change your mind; the whole concoction is so mellow and soft and tangy from the tomatoes, it is really a delight.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Large eggplant, about 1 pound
• 1 large onion, about 10 ounces, sliced in rings
• Oil, to fry the eggplant and the onions
• 4 Large tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups of cooked chickpeas
• 6 garlic cloves (or more, or none) (you can mash a few with salt and add the last minutes of cooking)
• Salt, pepper

METHOD:

1. Peel the eggplant and cut into slices. Sprinkle with salt and let the brown juice drain out, about one hour or longer; wipe dry and fry in plenty of oil till golden-brown on both sides; transfer to paper towels to soak up the extra oil and set aside.
2. Fry the onions till golden then add the cubed tomatoes; add the chickpeas and the eggplants and the garlic cloves whole  and bake in a medium-low oven for 30 minutes; or simmer over the stove gently until the juice from the tomatoes is almost all evaporated. Serve at room temperature with pita bread on the side.

A simple tart in which the flavor of the tomatoes  really pop. The key is to have a buttery and very crisp crust, which contrasts with the soft texture and intensified flavor of the tomatoes. Rub the crust  with a good mustard prior to baking, drizzle the croustade with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of thyme or oregano (I used zaatar, not the mix, the actual herb).

My mother used to bake this while we lived in France quite often; it is supposed to be an appetizer but we loved it so much we’d make a meal out of it. She would make a pâte brisée or use a store-bought puff pastry.

Highly recommended: Get a pure butter puff pastry.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pâte brisée or puff pastry (quantity for one pie)
• 3 or more tomatoes, ripe but firm
• 2 Tablespoons of good mustard
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of thyme or oregano

METHOD:

1. Roll the dough out and make it a free-form tart on a piece of parchment paper or fit into a tart pan (in which case, grease and flour the pan); prick the dough all over with a fork. Slather mustard all over the pie; slice the tomatoes thinly and line them all around letting them overlap in a rosace shape. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle a bit of oregano or thyme or zaatar on the pie. Bake in a preheated 375F oven till the crust is golden brown and very crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pâte brisée: Click here for recipe and instructions.

This potato kafta is a delicious twist on the usual kafta: The potatoes are boiled then mixed with the meat and flavored with a garlicky cilantro pesto.

The kaftas are shaped like burgers and can be pan-fried, grilled or baked with a slice of onion and tomato on top.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of lean (95%) ground beef (sirloin is what I used)
• 1/4 cup of cilantro pesto
• 1 pound of baking potatoes
• Olive oil, as needed
• 2 Large onions
• 2 Large tomatoes
• Spices for kafta: One teaspoon of allspice, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, black pepper, sumac (or use 1/2 Tablespoon of kafta spice mix)

METHOD:

1. Boil the potatoes until done; meanwhile, peel 6 garlic cloves, chop in little pieces and mash in a mortar with a dash of salt. When the garlic is pasty, stop. Wash and dry half a bunch of cilantro leaves (about 1/2 cup packed) and mince as fine as possible. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet and place the garlic and cilantro on the oil, stirring with a wooden spoon to get the mixture to combine; after 30 seconds remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Place the boiled potatoes (peeled) in a large bowl; add the meat, spices and cilantro pesto. Mix to combine well (it is helpful to wear disposable gloves here). Shape the potato kafta into burgers and either pan-fry or grill. If pan-frying, heat a little oil and sprinkle flour on the kafta patties. Another option is to grease a pan, line up the patties and top with a slice of onion and a slice of tomato; salt a bit and bake in a preheated oven at 350F until the patties are done and the meat is cooked. Serve warm.

Source for the recipe: Chef Ramzi’s The Culinary Heritage of Lebanon.

Ever had samkeh harra? Samkeh harra is a glorious dish that is served at buffets at big parties like weddings for example; it is a large fish (loukoz, a type of sea bass), baked whole (head and tail included) and served encased in a tahini and herb sauce with a touch of red chili pepper and a sprinkle of walnuts.

Well, I took the spices and flavors of this dish and converted it into a street food shawarma-style sandwich; easier to manage than a 5-pounder, you simply grill or pan-fry fish fillets, make a quick tarator and serve in a pita bread with fresh tomatoes and avocados.

INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

• 4 fish fillets of your choice
• 1/2  cup of tahini (4 ounces, 125 ml)
• 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (4 ounces, 125 ml)
• 3 (or more, to taste) cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, crushed
• 1 bunch of cilantro or dill or flat-parsley
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 1 large avocado
• olive oil, as needed
• Spices: 2 teaspoons of sumac, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, pinch of cinnamon and salt, as needed

METHOD:

1. Mix all the spices and sprinkle on the fish fillets, both front and back. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and set the fillets aside. Crush the garlic with a dash of salt in a mortar until pasty. Transfer to a bowl, add the tahini and stir to combine. Add the lemon juice and stir, add up to 3/4 cup of water and stir constantly until the tarator is smooth. Keep in mind you want it fairly thick and not too watery, so always add the water gradually, checking the texture and taste and adjust if needed.
2. Grill the fish or pan-fry in some olive oil until the fish is done. While the fish is cooking, slice the tomatoes, avocados and onions if using. Open each pita, slather with tarator, sprinkle some crushed walnuts, extra herbs, place the fish in the bread, add the tomato slices and avocado slices and serve.

NOTE: The tarator is a sauce that you can adjust according to your taste; more garlic or lemon juice? sure! Anything goes! (tarator=tahini sauce)

A common denominator to all people who live around the Eastern Mediterranean: They love to stuff their veggies!

In Lebanese cuisine, they are stuffed in two major ways: One includes meat and is served hot; the other is meatless and is served at room temperature.

The vegan variety of stuffed veggies is  used a lot for fasting days, but also for mezzes, when folks will congregate over fifties or so little plates of titbits, drink some arak, and discuss all topics under the sun for hours on end.

I was checking Peter‘s recipe to see how the Greeks differ in  stuffing ingredients; well, it is fairly similar except we like to add lemon juice in our cooking broth. The veggies come out tasting lemony and silky smooth (from the olive oil).

Here is yet another opportunity to add a dash of pomegranate molasses in the broth if you have some.

Keep in mind that this dish is mild-tasting and can easily become bland, so if you like a certain spice, go for it! I tried using cilantro and dill this time instead of the usual parsley and I loved it. Pine nuts are de rigueur, but any other nut will do, even pistachios, why not!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of assorted veggies (could be baby eggplants, calabasa squash, yellow squash, small peppers, onions or carrots)
• 3/4 cup of rice (sushi or Egyptian or Turkish or arborio)
• 1 small onion (about 6 ounces)
• 1 cup of finely chopped herbs (I used dill and cilantro)
• 2 cups of finely diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice
• 3 large tomatoes or potatoes to line the pot
• 1 Tablespoon of pomegranate molasses (optional)
• salt, to taste, 1/2 tablespoon of seven-spice or allspice and cinnamon combined
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts

METHOD:

1. The best veggies for this dish are the tiny, baby ones: Baby eggplants and small calabasa squash are sold at Middle-Eastern groceries, but if not, just use regular ones and cut them up to fit, using the extra for an omelette or fritters. Core the veggies with a corer or a grapefruit spoon. Reserve the flesh inside to cook later and use for fritters or just eat on the side with a pat of butter or olive oil.
2. Mix in a bowl: Rice, herbs, tomatoes,pine nuts, onion (chopped fine), spices, and lemon juice and olive oil. Add the molasses at this point too. Stuff the veggies leaving a little space on top for the rice to expand. Set aside all the leftover juice to use later.
3. Line a pot large enough to hold all veggies in one layer with thick slices of potatoes or tomatoes. Dispose the veggies on the potatoes or tomatoes. Take a small plate and place it directly on top of the veggies. This is to hold them in place while they are cooking. Now gently pour the remaining lemon and olive oil juice on the veggies, adding extra water to come almost to the top.
4. Cover the pot and place over medium heat. When the broth starts boiling, reduce the heat and let the pot simmers very slowly for one hour. Remove the cover and test by tasting some rice; turn off the heat when ready and let the veggies cool.
5. To serve, place the veggies on a platter and spoon the sauce all around if desired.

NOTE: Traditionally, the flesh of the veggies is used for fritters either served at the same meal or the next meal as an appetizer. To get a recipe for fritters click here.

If using carrots, it is a good idea to parboil them to soften them so that coring is a doable job.

If you live in the US or elsewhere and you would like to get a glimpse of the food most popular in Egypt, then open a can of foul mudammas and make yourself a bowl of foul.

Foul mudammas in cans is available at any Middle-Eastern store or even the ethnic section of supermarkets.

Foul is fava beans and is considered the national (street) dish of Egypt. I am not saying that a can is the same experience as eating it in the streets of Cairo, but it will give you an idea.

Foul is pronounced fool.

Foul is beloved in Lebanon as well, however prepared a bit differently with the addition of chick peas in the broth.

This meal is very cheap, very nutritious and very speedy. It also tastes good and is part of the Arab comfort food inventory.

INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 servings

• 2 cans of foul mudammas
• 4 to 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 large tomato
• olive oil, as needed
• 1 lemon
• 1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
• 1/4 cup of fresh herb (parsley, cilantro or dill)
• 4 to 6 eggs
• pita bread or any flatbread, as needed

METHOD:

1. Open the cans and start heating the beans gently; using an immersion blender or a meat mallet, crush the beans a bit to get some of them mashed up.
2. Peel the garlic, remove the green germ, chop in little pieces and mash in a mortar with a dash of salt till pasty.
3. Peel and chop and seed the tomato and add to the beans. Add the chili if using.
4. Juice the lemon and add to the mashed garlic, transfer to the beans and add a few tablespoons of olive oil.
5. Add some chopped herbs, and stir the beans to combine all the ingredients. Place the egg one at a time in a small microwavable bowl and add 1/4 cup of water to the egg. Cover and heat for one minute (more or less depending on your oven). The egg will turn opaque. Drain the water and plop the poached egg on the bean mixture. Proceed with the other eggs.
6. Serve the foul with pita or flatbread.

NOTE: Traditionally, foul is served with hard-boiled eggs.

I lived in Aix-en-Provence for six months after finishing up high school; Aix is a beautiful town in the South of France filled with picturesque courtyards outfitted with ancient fountains and majestic old mansions. I was supposed to be studying political sciences at the university, but I found the courses too depressing and spent my time roaming around the city’s cobblestone streets, eating succès (little cakes made of a hazelnut-flavored meringue and buttercream) and checking out the open-air marchés. I had a really cool neighbor, Anna, who was from Finland and in Aix to study French. (I reconnected with her thirty years later on Facebook).

Well, all of that to say that our landlady was a wonderful person who would leave me small plates of food (she probably thought I was starving) every day on the console by the front door. Among my  favorite of her offerings was her velouté de légumes, a creamy potage of spring vegetables, as humble as can be, that I would just inhale.

It is Spring and so  fitting to make a soup with just spring vegetables, simple and honest and comforting.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large onion or 2 stalks of leeks
• 2 large carrots
• 2 potatoes
• 2 turnips
• 1 large tomato
• 1 red pepper or 1/2 cup of red pepper paste
• 1 sprig of parsley, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of thyme
• salt, pepper to taste
• 4 cups of chicken stock or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 bunch of broccoli
• olive oil as needed

METHOD:

1. Clean, peel, dice all the veggies.
2. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a big soup pot; add all the vegetables and stir every few minutes until they are softened.
3. Add a quart of chicken stock or water and the two cubes, the sprig of parsley, garlic, and other herbs (thyme, bay leaf). Bring to a simmer and let the soup simmer gently for one hour.
4. Puree in a blender either till creamy or till chunky. Taste to adjust seasoning and serve.

I saw chef Adèle Hugot cook pasta this way (and call it pastato), I thought “it really is not that much different from what we have been doing with vermicelli and rice in the Lebanese kitchen”. She coats the pasta in olive oil in a wok, then adds the white wine and stock (or a couple bouillon cubes) and lets the pasta absorb the stock completely. Then adds the basil, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese.

One great advantage here is you only use one pot, the pasta absorbs a good homemade stock (ideally) and the dish is ready in 12 minutes.

I am going to cook pasta this way from now on, with variations based on my pantry’s finds and my mood.

Today, I added a few slivers of jamón serrano, toasted pine nuts, garlic and basil.

I like to add the mashed garlic after the pasta is cooked. Two reasons: All the benefits of garlic are preserved and the pasta has that fresh slightly pungent garlic taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• 10.6 ounces penne (300 g.)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes, seeded and peeled
• 3 cups  chicken stock or water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• A few slivers of jamón serrano or salami or prosciutto, sliced
• 3 ounces of kashkaval cheese or parmesan or any sheep’s milk cheese of your taste
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ounce of fresh basil leaves

METHOD:

1. Heat the olive oil in the wok; add the pasta and toss, letting it color slightly.
2. Heat the chicken stock or water and bouillon cubes to almost a simmer, add the white wine and pour into the wok over the pasta.
3. Add to the pasta diced tomatoes (seeded) and shredded sun-dried tomatoes. Let the pasta absorb the stock completely. Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet with a teaspoon of butter till caramel-colored.
4. Cut the cheese into shreds using a potato peeler. Mash the diced garlic with a pinch of salt. Shred the Spanish ham.
5. Add the cheese, shredded ham, toasted pine nuts and shredded basil to the pasta. Toss the pasta.
6. Grind some fresh black pepper over the pasta and serve.

A fresh dip of labneh, our daily ritual growing up in Beirut. This labneh though is modified: instead of serving it with tomatoes and herbs separately, I am combining them: one scoop with a pita triangle and you will get it all!

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces of full or low-fat yogurt
• 2 cloves of garlic
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup of fresh mint (substitute dry)
• 1/4 cup of fresh flat-leaves parsley
• 1/4 cup of fresh dill
• 2 scallions
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 bag of pita bread, cut into triangles with kitchen scissors

METHOD:

1. Place a coffee-maker filter or a paper towel over a sieve and drain the yogurt for several hours, overnight if possible.
2. Chop the parsley, dill, scallions and  mint very fine. Cut the garlic cloves in small bits and mash them with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a mortar till pasty. Add to the labneh and mix.
3. Add all the herbs to the labneh. Cut the tomatoes in half, empty the tomatoes and cut the flesh into small dice. Drain on a sieve for 30 minutes and get rid of the seeds. Incorporate the tomato bits in the labneh. Fill the tomato cavities with labneh and garnish with a mint leaf.
4. Serve on a plate with pita triangles or chips (toast the triangles in a 300F oven for 12 minutes until light gold).