Category: Vegetables and Salads

Ghalayet Kousa (Sauted Zucchini)

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Sorry guys, this is a zucchini blog now. Iranian ghaliyeh kadoo, meet your Palestinian cousin, ghaleyet kousa. Just as delicious a zucchini dish, ghalayet kousa is a little mintier, a little spicier, and sans turmeric. If you love zucchini like I do, you’ll be making this easy dish all summer long.

Ghalayet kousa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
6 zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chili, minced
1 teaspoon dried mint
Salt

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the zucchini and saute for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and let the zucchini cook down, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.

2. After about 10 minutes, add the mint and mix with the zucchini. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mutabal Kousa (Zucchini and Yogurt Dip)

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I first made this Palestinian zucchini, yogurt, and tahini dip last summer when we had way too much zucchini on our hands and didn’t know what to do with it. One bite of the creamy dip flecked with garlic, lemon, and mint, and I was hooked. So naturally, I ended up making this a hundred or so times last summer — and plan on doing the same this year, too. Like Iranian ghaliyeh kadoo, you can serve mutabal kousa with flatbread, or if you’re like me, you can eat it straight out of the bowl.

Mutabal kousa

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
4 or 5 zucchini, cubed
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 serrano chili, minced
1 teaspoon dried mint
Salt
Flatbread to serve

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the zucchini with 1 teaspoon of salt, until golden grown. Remove from the heat.

2. Smash the zucchini in a bowl with a fork to achieve a chunky texture. Add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, yogurt, and salt, if needed.

3. Add the chili and dried mint and mix to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Ghaliyeh Kadoo (Iranian Simmered Zucchini)

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Ghalieh kadoo is one of those dishes whose sum is greater than its parts. This Iranian garlicy stewed zucchini never comes out 100% like my maman’s (does anything ever come out like our mamans’?) but it’s delicious nonetheless. Serve it with flatbread, or eat it plain like I do, because it’s really that good.

Ghaliyeh kadoo

Ingredients:

10 zucchini, diced
Salt
1 head garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons turmeric
Pepper

1. Salt the zucchini in a colander for a couple of hours to release excess liquid.

2. In a saucepan, lightly sauté the garlic in the olive oil until just starting to turn golden. Add the turmeric, then add the zucchini. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until reduced, about 20 minutes.

3. Add pepper to taste, cover, and simmer on low, stirring every once in a while for another 10 minutes, adding a bit of water if needed to keep from scorching. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tabbouleh with Preserved Lemon

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Studded with tons of parsley and bits of tangy preserved lemon, this lightly spiced tabbouleh shines as a summer side dish. Make this when the weather is warm and you want something healthy to eat. Don’t let it sit too long; tabbouleh is best eaten fresh.

Tabbouleh with preserved lemon

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup bulgur
5 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced preserved lemon
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds, toasted
A quarter red onion, finely chopped

1. In a medium pan, cook bulgur according to package instructions, adding 1/8 teaspoon salt. Fluff bulgur with a fork and let cool.

2. Whisk together the lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the preserved lemon, and spices. Whisk in the oil to make the dressing.

3. In a large bowl, toss the parsley with the bulgur, almonds, and onion. Drizzle in the dressing and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Swiss Chard and Gruyere Tart

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I love baking savory tarts and frittatas as the weather starts to warm up. Eggs! Greens! Herbs! All the lovely things that springtime brings. This tart is endlessly riffable — you can substitute the Swiss chard with other leafy greens and use other cheeses instead of Gruyere if you wish.

Swiss Chard and Gruyere Tart

Ingredients:

Salt
2 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, stemmed and washed
1 pie shell
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pepper
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the Swiss chard. Blanch for 1 minute, until just tender, and drain in a colander. Squeeze out water, chop coarsely, and set aside.

2. Heat the oven to 375F degrees.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add the green onions. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped Swiss chard and stir together. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and set aside.

4. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir in the greens and onions. Season with pepper and stir in the cheeses. Transfer filling into the pie shell. Bake for 35 minutes, until firm and beginning to brown on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.