Israeli Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was introduced to this salad in a tourist hotel that sat at the edge of a hutong in Bejing, China. A group of Israeli tourists was also staying at the hotel and most mornings I'd have breakfast with them. I'm a very early riser and would sneak to the dining room for a cup of coffee rather than disturb Bob with my restlessness. It bothered these kind folks to see me sitting by myself and they insisted I join them at their table. Breakfast in a Chinese tourist hotel is a multicultural affair that features food, usually served buffet style, that will appeal to all the groups who are guests of the hotel. My friends, although not worried about keeping kosher, had a separate dining area with an array of food that centered on salads and other foods our hosts thought more typical of an Israeli or Mediterranean diet. My companions would gather various vegetable elements from the buffet and bring them back to the table where they were tossed with chopsticks and dressed with fresh lemon and whatever oil was available. Though not accustomed to salad at six in the morning, I was charmed into sharing theirs for the duration of my stay. Although there is some chopping involved, the salad is very easy to assemble and it's perfect for a summer meal when tomatoes and cucumbers are abundant. If you haven't had this salad, I hope you will give it a try. While the salad is delicious, it does not keep well, so dress it just before serving and make no more than you will use in one sitting. Here's how it's made.

Israeli Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 large green bell pepper
3 (6-to 8-ounce) tomatoes, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted, quartered
2/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Char pepper over gas flame or in broiler until blackened. Enclose in plastic bag 15 minutes. Peel, seed, and cut pepper into 1/3-inch cubes. Place in large bowl.
2) Add tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion, and parsley. Whisk oil and lemon juice in small bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper, then mix into vegetables. Let vegetables marinate at least 15 minutes but not more than 3 hours before serving. Cover and chill. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mediterranean Orzo Salad - Andrea Meyers
Summer Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese, Basil Vinaigrette and Herbs - Kalyn's Kitchen
Strawberry Tomato Salad with Balsamic - Jungle Frog Cooking
Israeli Salad - Phoo-d
The Quintessential Salad - Nosh and Tell
Cherry Tomato Salad - Tastes Like Home

Flaked Parsley Salad with Black Olives and Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Those of you who have traveled the backroads and byways of the Mediterranean are probably familiar with this salad. I learned of it ten years ago while paging through an article written by Paula Wolfert, a respected food writer and teacher with expertise in the food of the region. The recipe was unusual enough to catch my eye and simple enough to hold my attention. While I love to serve the salad with grilled meat or fish, I also like to incorporate it as an ingredient in other recipes that will be featured later in the week. Its main ingredient is fresh curly parsley. Lots of it. The parsley leaves are removed from the stems and torn into tiny bits. It's really important that no short cuts be taken with this step. Large clumps and stems will spoil this salad and make it quite ordinary. Once you have about four cups of shredded parsley flakes they are combined will olives and shallots and tossed with the simplest of oil and vinegar dressings. The resulting salad is delicious when it's made with really fresh parsley. It's not worth your while to make it with parsley of an uncertain age. Older parsley is tough and the salad will taste like rabbit fodder. It's also important not to dress the salad until just before serving. The salad becomes compacted if it sits too long after the oil and vinegar have been added. I first made this out of curiosity, but what began as an experiment has become a regular feature of my summer table despite its pains and pitfalls. I know that many of you share my passion for the unusual, so I decided to post this recipe despite its simplicity. I really think you'll like it. Here's the recipe.

Flaked Parsley Salad with Black Olives and Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Paula Wolfert

Ingredients:
1/4 pound very fresh curly parsley, washed and thoroughly dried
1/2 cup (about 24) Kalamata olives, rinsed, drained pitted and slivered
1/4 cup minced shallots or red onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup coarsely grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Directions:
1) Remove parsley from stems. Discard stems and tear each leaf into tiny bits. You should have four cups of loosely packed parsley flakes.
2) Combine parsley, olives, shallots, Worcestershire, oil, vinegar in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Corn and Radish Salad - One Perfect Bite
Mediterranean Radish Salad - One Perfect Bite
Asparagus and White Bean Salad - One Perfect Bite
Moroccan Carrot Salad - The Perfect Pantry
Feta and Watermelon Salad - Girlichef
Heirloom Tomato Salad - Chef Tom's Blog
Spicy Lentil, Radish and Parsley Salad - Cook Sister
Greek-Style Zucchini Salad - Closet Cooking

Mediterranean Radish Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A commitment to support community agriculture can have unexpected consequences. Produce that's locally grown can be unfamiliar or something that you have, in the past, avoided eating. Greens and beans and peppers I never dreamed of cooking a few short years ago, now regularly appear on our table. The only downside to this, is the occasional scramble to find ways in which to cook the new offerings, or the inevitable backlog that occurs with some of the vegetables. Scallions and radishes seem to procreate in my vegetable crisper, so it should come as no surprise that I recently found myself with a glut of radishes that simply had to be addressed. Fortunately, I remembered a recipe for a salad that had originally come from a nutritional program at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center. I had made it once before, and the fact that I still had the recipe was an indication that we enjoyed the salad. While a radish salad may not be to everyone's liking, I can heartily recommend this one for its flavor, crispness and wholesome goodness. It's also easy to make if you have a food processor. The only thing to keep in mind is that the radishes will bleed if made too soon before serving. Here's the recipe.

Mediterranean Radish Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Ingredients:
4 bunches radishes (about 48 radishes), cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
8 leaf lettuce leaves

Directions:
1) Place radishes in a large bowl.
2) Combine lemon juice, olive oil and cayenne in a small bowl.
3) Pour dressing over radishes, add parsley and mix well. Season with salt to taste.
4) Place one lettuce leaf on each of 8 salad plates. Mound a portion of radish mixture over top of each. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Cucumber and Radish Salad with Feta Cheese- Kalyn's Kitchen
Cucumber and Radish Salad - Cooking By the Seat of My Pants
Radish and Grapefruit Salad - Diet Dessert and Dogs
Radish, Cucumber and Beet Salad - Two Fat Als
Simple Radish Salad - Chubby Panda
Healthy Green Bean and Radish Salad - Serious Eats
Radish Salad - Mark Bittman

Baba Ganoush - Blue Monday

Baba Ganoush



Connor - the youngest of Oma's "Blue Boys"

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Baba Ganoush is a vegetable dip that's very popular in the Arabic Middle East and other Mediterranean countries. It's a simple, inexpensive dish, and there are probably as many versions of it as there are kitchens in those countries. I don't mean to confuse the issue by posting yet another, but I wanted to record our family version of the dip in a spot where my girls can get to it when they need it. My version has a smoky flavor because it's grilled over an open flame, rather than being baked or broiled in an oven, as is the custom in some homes. This recipe also has some zip that comes from a fairly substantial addition of fresh lemon juice. There are several acceptable ways to garnish this dish. I tend to use what I have on hand, so, more often than not, I'll drizzle it with olive oil or sprinkle it with chopped flat-leaf parsley. When they are available I also love to use pomegranate seeds. I used to serve the dip with pita bread, but I have recently started to use still warm, freshly fried tortilla chips in their stead. It is not authentic, but it is delicious. Without further ado, here's the recipe for a dip or spread that is a wonderful accompaniment to a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean meal.

Baba Ganoush...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 large (1-pound) eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Puncture eggplant in several places with a fork. Grill for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and eggplant is soft.
Cool until it can be handled. Cut eggplant in half and scrape pulp into a sieve. Hold under cold and gently running water. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from pulp.
2) Combine pulp, garlic, lemon juice and salt in bowl of food processor. Process until smooth. Add tahini and process just to incorporate. Adjust seasoning if required. With processor running, add olive oil, cumin and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Baba Ganoush can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Garnish and serve. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Red Pepper Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Black Bean Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Mexican Beer-Cheese Spread - One Perfect Bite
Hummus en Fuego - eCurry
Muhammara - Closet Cooking
Grilling Baba Ghanoush - Serious Eats

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday