Yogurt, Memories, and a Cold Russian Soup

Cold Russian Okroshka Soup

Yogurt, Memories, and A Cold Russian Soup

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

I recently made a cold soup from memory, based on a Russian soup I had taught in a class a few years ago.  To offer it to you, I had to dig through my files to find the actual recipe and look around for an old photo I took of the soup as my new version wasn't as pretty.  As I did so, I smiled again at the process by which recipes travel, sometimes via the internet across continents to other worlds, sometimes through friends or fellow bloggers,  often through the family network, frequently as a result of travel.  This recipe represents most of these.

It all started with my love of yogurt and yogurt-type ingredients.  I love them.  Always have.  For many of my readers, it would be difficult to imagine a world without yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, and more, readily available in myriad flavors, in numbered cultures, from different types of milk.  From my early teen days when yogurt was a relatively new ingredient, at least in rural South Florida in the early 1960s with an electric yogurt maker that produced 6 or so tiny pots of yogurt that I could eat all at once, to travel days in Russia (where I drank everyone else's kefir at breakfast because I couldn't get enough--and no one else seemed to share my enthusiasm) or during my travels along the old Asian highway through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and beyond, where I ate fermented dairy products every day in many forms, to my years of living in the Middle East where the yogurts were incomparable, to our thoroughly modern world where all manner of cultured products are available practically everywhere. At every step of the way, I embraced cultured dairy products with gusto.

My recipe notes tell me that this version of Russian Yogurt Soup came from a site called www.diet.lifetips.com, though when I search it, I can't find the original source.  My notes also tell me that whoever put the recipe on that site, adapted it from the version in the utterly wonderful Russian cookbook Please to the Table, which I bought so many years ago after eating the Moldavian Vegetable Soup at my friend Lucky's house, made from a recipe in the book.  You see the thread?  Recipes really do travel.


The name okroshka comes from the word kroshit, which means "to chop" in Russian.  Traditionally the recipe is made with kvass or kvas, a beverage made from black or rye bread, but this recipe uses plain cultured yogurt or kefir because it is more readily available.  Most recipes that I found online contain meat, such as ham, sausage, or bologna and often contain mustard, vinegar, pickles, and cooked potatoes.  A Bulgarian version contains walnuts.  The variations are great.  I chose to keep it vegetarian and simple.

A Few Notes on Yogurt

Simply put, yogurt is a fermentation of lactose in milk caused by the lactic acid produced by certain bacteria.  These bacteria, found in a culture or in many cultures, produce lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give it its signature texture and sour tang.

I may have only discovered it during my teens, but Neolithic herdsmen knew of it over 8000 years ago.  By milking their animals and carrying the milk in containers made from animal stomachs, the milk curdled due to the enzymes found there.  Historians tell us that Genghis Khan and his armies lived on yogurt.  Eventually, yogurt spread to Europe and beyond.

The Danone company is attributed with the first industrialized production of yogurt in 1919 in Barcelona.  However, it was an Armenian immigrant family who introduced commercial yogurt to American in 1929.  In 1947 Dannon, from the original Danone of Spain and later France, introduced in America the first commercial yogurt with fruit on the bottom.  We've come a long way from those early animal stomach bags of fermented milk.

A few interesting facts about yogurt:

• Yogurt can be made from the milk of any animal, and depending on where you are in the world  it might come from cows, goats, water buffalo, mares, ewes, camels or yaks
• Yogurt can be dated to the Neolithic peoples of Central Asia to as early as 6000 B.C., which makes it one of the oldest processed foods in man's history
• The word "yogurt" comes from a Turkish word which means to curdle or to thicken
• Although most languages retain the Turkish name, it is also known as yoghurt, yaourt, yoghurd, and yogourt
• As early as 2000 B.C., yogurt was used as both a cleaning produce and a beauty lotion (the acid in yogurt helps clean away dirt and rust as well as dead skin!)
• Yogurt contains the same amount of protein and fat as the milk it is made from, as well as riboflavin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12
• The domestication of cows dates to 9000 B.C. Libya, but it is accepted that the Central Asian Turks consumed mare's milk long before that, and possibly yogurt as well
• Indian Ayurvedic scripts dating from about 6000 B.C. also refer to the health benefits of consuming milk products (but not yogurt specifically)
• The cuisines that consume the most yogurt today are Turkey, Iran, and Lebanon
• Yogurt became popular in the US after WWII (the Dannon company relocated there during the German occupation of Paris, where it had moved from Barcelona)
• We know from Galen that the ancient Greeks may have known yogurt as "pyriate" 
• Yogurt was known in France as early as 1542 (François I used it as a treatment for diarrhea)
• Pliny the Elder wrote that certain nomadic tribes knew how to thicken milk into a substance with an "agreeable acidity--yogurt?
• Other fermented dairy products include:  kefir, kumis, labneh, lassi, and shanklish

Cook's Notes:  This soup is really a salad in a bowl, filled in with liquid yogurt or kvass.  All of the ingredients should be served cold, whether presented as I do as a yogurt soup with separate garnishes or more traditionally, all stirred together.  This particular soup is often considered to be from Uzbekistan.

Okroshka:  Russian Cold Yogurt Soup

(Recipe from www.diet.lifetips.com)

For the liquid part:  
2 cups very fresh, young kefir or thick yogurt
2 cups cold water
(Note:  if using regular yogurt rather than the thick Greek type, use 3 cups yogurt and 1 cup ice cubes)


For the solid part:
1/2 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
1 small raw red beet, finely shredded (or boiled and julienned)
2 boiled eggs, cut into cubes
1 medium cucumber,  seeded and julienned
2 medium green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Mix the ingredients for the yogurt base in a large bowl.  Serve the garnishes in individual bowls so the diner can create his preferred blend or simply garnish the soup with the chopped vegetables and top with a sprinkle of herbs.


I am sending this to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen for her fun event Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays.  Thanks, Deb!

Parting Shot:

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Recipes, like life, are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using my photos or text.  Thanks.

Pineapple Gazpacho

 Pineapple Gazpacho

Pineapple Gazpacho

by Victoria Challancin

If I take exception to all sorts of vegetable spreads being called "hummus" when they contain no chickpeas (remember:  hummus simply means "chickpea" in Arabic), then surely I should not allow myself to call this delicious summer soup "gazpacho" simply because it is served chilled with some garnishes.  Yet, I do.  I'll rely on Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds..." as my excuse.

I love to serve chilled soups when the weather is hot here in Mexico.  First of all, we have a glorious array of fresh fruits and vegetables available year round.  Secondly, they are just pretty to serve and tasty as well.

I wrote about the history of Spain's famed gazpachos here, and have offered several cold soups, both savory and sweet in the following posts:

• Moroccan Gazpacho (cool, easy, exotic, and soooo delicious)
• Chilled Gazpacho and Tzatziki Soups (a two-toned beauty)
• Tomatillo Gazpacho with Feta-Olive Relish (unusual, snappy)
• Chilled Melon, Cucumber, and Coconut Milk Soup (a nice variation with the coconut milk)
• Chilled Roasted Yellow Pepper-Mango Soup (proof that you can never use too many mangoes)
• Chilled Zucchini Soup with Purslane (a little different--and so lovely)

This particular "gazpacho" recipe comes from The Washington Post, who adapted it from Edible:  A Celebration of Local Foods, by Tracey Rider and Carole Topalian.  It relies on no broth, rather it simply uses pureed fruits and vegetables for its base:  pineapple, yellow bell pepers, onion, and cucumber--plus 1/4 cup of water or pineapple juice are added to thin the soup if needed.  To round out the flavors, a touch of rice wine vinegar, hot pepper sauce, and a wee bit of brown sugar are added.  Garnishes include chopped both red and bell peppers, cucumber, jalapeño chile, and cilantro--plus, I added chopped jícama.

Cook's Notes:  You can be sure that I didn't bother to measure the ingredients carefully.  While I am certain that the recipe is perfect as written, this seems to me to be one of those glorious melding of mellifluous ingredients that just seem to go together in whatever amounts most appeal to the cook.  I also added chopped jícama, just because I love its sweet crunch.

Recipe:  Pineapple Gazpacho

(Recipe from The Washington Post, adapted from Edible:  A Celebration of Local Foods by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian)

Make Ahead:  The soup needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours and no more than 24 hours.  The flavor will improve with a day's refrigeration.

For the gazpacho:

1 ripe pineapple (about 4 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into chunks (about 4 1/2 cups)

About 12/ medium yellow bell pepper, seeded, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/3 medium red onion, chopped (1/3 cup)

1 cup peeled seedless (English) cucumber, chopped

2 teaspoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon light brown sugar (optional)

For the garnish:

About 1/4 medium red bell pepper seeded and finely chopped (1/4 cup)

About 1/4 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (1/4 cup)

About 1/4 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (1/4 cup)

4-inch length of peeled seedless (English ) cucumber, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

One medium jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

Leaves from 2 stems of cilantro or mint, finely chopped (1 tablespoon), optional

To make the gazpacho:  Process the pineapple in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; transfer to a large nonreactive bowl, preferably glass or stainless steel.  Taste; if the fruit puree is not very sweet, add the optional brown sugar.

Using the same food processor bowl, add the yellow bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, vinegar, salt, and white pepper.  Process until smooth, then add the mixture to the pineapple puree in the bowl and stir to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

For the garnish:  Combine the garnish ingredients in a bowl.

To assemble:  Stir in the pineapple juice or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the pureed gazpacho to reach the desired consistency.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Divide among individual bowls; top each portion with the garnish.  Serve immediately.

Parting Shot:

Jenny's pig by the wonderful, late Danny Brennan

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Recipes, like life, are meant to be shared, but please ask before using text or photos.  Thanks!

Eggplant and Tri-Color Goat Cheese Napoleons on Couscous with Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Eggplant and Tri-Color Goat Cheese Napoleons on Couscous with Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Eggplant and Tri-Color Goat Cheese Napoleons on Couscous with Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

by Victoria Challancin

When I first saw this recipe on Manus' Menu, a truly wonderful food blog by a young Italian woman who now lives in Australia, I was dazzled by her photos of this dish.  As I investigated the recipe further, I found that it was made with ingredients that I so love--eggplant, goat cheese, basil, couscous, sun-dried tomatoes, and a killer vinaigrette.  It immediately went to the top of my "to-make" list.

After tinkering with the recipe a wee bit, I jotted down my changes and noted with curiosity that I had called it "Eggplant Napoleons,"  while the original recipe called it "mille feuille."  Curious indeed.  I realized that to me, mille feuille tended to designate layered desserts, including the one which is actually called a "napoleon," whereas the term "napoleon" just meant something made in a layered stack, sweet or savory.  Clearly, an investigation was required.

When referring to a pastry, mille feuille, which means "thousand leaves"in France, designates a multi-layered pastry filled with patisserie cream.  In the world of the British Commonwealth, it would be called a "vanilla or cream slice"  (my Ozzie friends may correct me here, but from my experience they do make all sorts of really delicious "slices").  In Canada though, it is still called by the French term.  In Italy, where this particular dessert is thought to have originated, it is called mille foglie, also meaning a thousand leaves.  Ditto for the milhojas of Spain.  In parts of Africa, again with a British touch, it is called a "custard slice," unless in the former French colonies, where of course mille feuille reigns supreme.

In modern culinary lingo, mille feuille and napoleons can refer to either a savory or a sweet dish.  The Zucchini Slice that my Australian friend Jan makes is one such example that comes to mind of a delicious custard made with thin zucchini slices.  Of course, the possibilities are limitless for either type of dish.  We all remember the culinary craze so popular for a while with certain chefs, of often cumbersome architectural towers, precariously piled on the plate, that defied the diner to even approach--luckily that particular trend seems to have waned.

Why the reference to Napoleon?  For a very long time, it was purported that the mille feuille French pastry, made of layers of puff pastry and patisserie cream drizzled with chocolate, was Napoleon Bonapart's favorite dessert.  However, food historians tell us that there is no evidence of a connection. In its dessert form, the napoleon is probably a descendant or variation on a Middle Eastern phyllo dessert (such as baklava), known to both Middle Eastern and Greek cooks who probably introduced it to Italy via Sicily.  Others say that returning crusaders were responsible for its introduction to Europe. But because phyllo-type pastries are so ancient, it makes sense that their arrival to Europe pre-dates the dessert's popularity there in the 19th century.  Probably, the word "napoleon" is a corruption of the word "Napolitain," which refers to a pastry made in the tradition of the bakers of Naples, Italy.  

Whether a thousand leaves or three, a stack of veggies or whipped cream, Arab or Italian, French or Greek--napoleons are here to stay.  And so are mille feuille.

Cook's Notes:   I played with the amounts of ingredients in this recipe, as I often do.  While I am quite certain that the recipe is perfect the way it is written by its creator, Manu, I made a few adjustments according to my own taste.  I used 2 smallish eggplants instead of the original 4 slices called for in the original recipe so that I would have several napoleons instead of just one large one;  I used more than triple the amount of goat cheese; I substituted honey for maple syrup; and I added a bit more balsamic vinegar and garlic than the original recipe used.  Somehow I neglected in my original copying of the recipe to add basil to the vinaigrette (which is why my couscous isn't green).  Be sure to add the basil, though, as it will just add more depth of flavor.  I also made a bit more of the dipping oil with garlic as I had more pieces of eggplant.  I would probably add more basil to the green cheese portion next time to have a deeper green color (remember that I used extra goat cheese hence had a paler green hue), but other than that this recipe is just fantastic as is.  Actually, no changes are necessary.

Recipe:  Eggplant and Tri-Color Goat Cheese Napoleons on Couscous with Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

(Adapted slightly from a recipe on Manu's Menu blog)

For the eggplant:

2 smallish eggplants, cut into 1/4-inch slices (note that it helps to have the slices similar in size)

2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more to spray/brush)

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1 pinch kosher salt

For the tri-color goat cheese:

340g natural goat cheese, divided in 3 parts

8 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

15 basil leaves (or ore)

For the couscous and honey balsamic vinaigrette:

80g (2/8 oz) couscous, cooked per package directions and cooled

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 large basil leaves

Garnish:  extra sun-dried tomato pieces and whole basil leaves as needed

Put the eggplant slices in salty water and leave for 30 minutes.  Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Heat an oiled griddle pan until very hot.  Either spray or brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil.  Cook them on the griddle for a couple of minutes per side, or until clearly marked and cooked through.  Leave them, without moving around, so that they have grill marks.  Cook in batches, if necessary.  Set aside.

In the meantime, put the clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and salt in a bowl and set aside to allow the flavors to blend.  (This is to brush on the eggplant slices). 

Prepare the couscous following the package instructions and set aside.

Divide the goat cheese into 3 equal parts.  Place one portion in a small bowl and soften by mixing it with a fork.  Put 1/3 in a food processor with the sun-dried tomatoes and a bit of the oil from the tomatoes.  Blend until combined.  Set aside.  Put the remaining 1/3 in a clean food processor with the basil leaves and blend until combined.  Set aside.

Prepare the vinaigrette:  Put the honey, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender.  Add the basil leaves.  Process until smooth.  Dress the couscous with the vinaigrette, saving a bit to drizzle over the finished dish.

Divide the couscous between individual plates or on a platter.    Brush the eggplant slices lightly with the garlic oil and start building the napoleons.  Place once slice of eggplant on top of the couscous, spread with half of the white goat cheese, cover with another oil-brushed eggplant slice, spread with red goat cheese , and repeat with the green goat cheese.  Top with a final piece of eggplant.  Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices and cheese mixtures.

Garnish with a bit of sun-dried tomato and a basil leaf or two.

Drizzle the final dish with some more vinaigrette and serve at room temperature.

Parting Shot:  

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using text or photos.  Thanks!

Tomato Fun

Tomato Fun

by Victoria Challancin

With new produce appearing almost weekly at our local organic market and local farms, it is easy to be dazzled.  This week I was struck by the tomatoes.  Lots of tomatoes.  Green Zebras (the first time to find these!), tiny yellow teardrops, baby chocolate cherries, miniature beefsteaks (is there such a thing?), and more.  So of course I bought a few of each, just because they were pretty.  Ditto for the yellow wax beans--another first in the market.

I returned home with my treasures, along with some very good cheeses and bread, plus purple and large-leafed basil, and thought about how I would use them.  Frankly, a quick steam of the beans, slicing of tomatoes, whirling of a pesto-type drizzle--and a big part of lunch was done.  And it beckoned.

 Yes, that is a stray plum, not a deep purple tomato   (They were disinfected together)

History of the Plump Thing with a Navel

( I am paraphrasing the following facts mainly from investigative reporter Barry Estabrook's revealing Tomatoland:  How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit and from Wikipedia)

Although it is hard to imagine southern Italian food, Provençal dishes, Spanish fare, or many cuisines throughout the world without the tomato, the tomato is in fact a New World plant which originated in the coastal deserts and Andean foothills of Ecuador and northern Peru.  The tiny tomato prototype that proliferated there,  was the predecessor of the modern tomato and was about the size of a garden pea.  Random mutations and human selection later led to the larger versions we now appreciate.  The actual domestication of the tomato took place in the Mayan world of southern Mexico or northern Central America, more than a thousand miles from its place of origin. You see, in its original form, the pre-Columbian Americans simply would never have bothered to domesticate such tiny berries.  Luckily for us, the Mayans did.

By the time Cortés conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtiltan (now Mexico City), tomatoes were an importan part of the indigenous diet, appearing is a variety of salsas and stews.  Called tomatl, or "swelling fruit" in the Nahuatl language (or I have also read it comes from xitomatl which means "plump thing with a navel"), the tomato, as we know it today, was a hit with the conquerers, who took it with them on their return voyages where it caught on rather quickly in many areas.  The Spanish are responsible for introducing the tomato into the Caribbean, the Philippines, and later to Europe.

Even after a short 10 years, it was popular in Italy, where it was called mala aurea, or golden apples, referring to the yellow color which was popular.  The modern name in Italian is pomodoro, or golden apple.  As with the pineapple, which was actually rented as an ornament early in its European days, the early tomato was often viewed as merely decorative.  Later, tomatoes were used as medicine, particularly to treat ailments of the eyes.

In France, they were called pommes d'amour, or love apples, which could just be a touch of early French poetry, as I like to think, or less appealingly a corruption of the Spanish name pome dei Moro, or Moor's apple.  By the end of the sixteenth century, tomatoes were an established part of the southern European diet.

The British, cautious as ever, were latecomers to the appreciation of the tomato.  Used for its medicinal powers only, the Brits didn't embrace the tomato as food until much later.  In fact, the tomato was considered unfit for eating, if not actually poisonous by many in Britain and by their early American colonists.  But by the mid-18th century, tomatoes were a part of the daily diet in Britain.

Those early American colonists who did embrace the tomato called the fruit by its Mexican name, tomate (it is now called jitomate in Mexican Spanish, clearly from the Nahuatl xitomatl).  Although it was thoroughly incorporated into their cooking, many were suspicious of it (probably due to its bad press in the home country), as they were of many plants of the Nightshade Family...or the Deadly Nightshade Family as it is often called [I actually once read a terrific book called The Fascinating World of the Nightshades--not to be missed by plant-lovers or foodies or people like me that just love to read such as this].  We do know that Thomas Jefferson, who was exposed to the tomato while living in France, sent seeds back to America.

Introduced into cultivation in the Middle East by a British consul to Syria around 1799 to 1825, the tomato eventually became an indispensable ingredient in the regional cuisine.  Entering the region through Armenia, and possibly via certain royal families visits to France, the tomato was known early on by the Iranian term Armani badenjan, or Armenian eggplant, an unintentional tribute perhaps to the fact that they both belong to the nightshade family.  

Tomato Facts and Fun

Here are some random facts about the now-beloved tomato:

• Many people have an aversion to eating raw tomatoes, but not cooked (it may have to do with the break-down of lycopene when cooked)
• There are over 7500 varieties of tomatoes (The USDA says there are 25,000)
• The now popular "Heirloom" varieties, called "heritage tomatoes" in the UK, refer to the open-pollinated (non-hybrid) cultivars of tomatoes which can be found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, flavors and sizes
• Tomatoes are often classified into several categories, based mostly on shape and size ("slicing" or "globe" types, Beefsteak, Plum, Oxheart, Cherry, Grape, Campari, and more)
• The "ribbing" or irregular surface of some popular varieties are similar to the original pre-Columbian cultivars.
• You should never store tomatoes in the refrigerator, which causes a loss of flavor 
• Tomatoes are considered to be heart-healthy
• Technically, the tomato is a berry, which is a subset of fruit, but for culinary purposes, it is a vegetable
• Tomatoes contain lycopene which may be an effective cancer fighter
• Tomatoes may help lower urinary tract symptoms and may be beneficial for reducing cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes
• Like many of the plants in the Nightshade Family, tomato leaves are toxic
• You should not feed your dogs tomatoes
• The Latin lycopersicum used to designate tomatoes, means "wolf peach" and come crom German werewolf myths
• The heaviest tomato on record weighed 5.51 kg (7 lb 12 oz)
• The town of Buñol, Spain, celebrates the annual La Tomatina Festival which centers on an enormous tomato fight--around 30,000 participants throw 150,000 overripe tomates (100 metric tons) at each other for reasons I will never understand
• Tomatoes are popular weapons in mass protests in many places
• Throwing rotten tomatoes at bad performers on stage during the 19th century was a common practice 
• The tomato is Americas' fourth most popular fresh-market vegetable, just behind potatoes, lettuce, and onions
• Americans eat about 22-24 pound of tomatoes per person per year (and more that half of those are consumed as ketchup and tomato sauce)
• Historically, the tomato has been used as both a medicine and a poison
• Tomato juice is the official state beverage of Ohio (who knew American states had official beverages???)
•  In the US, at least 19 states hold tomato festivals
• 93% of American gardening households grow tomatoes
• Tomatoes are an antioxidant powerhouse and a great source of fiber
• Tomatoes come in every color except for blue
• The jelly-like substance around tomato seeds contains the highest concentration of vitamin C
• Tomatoes are the world's most popular fruit with more than 60 million tons produced each year (16,000,000 more tons than the second most popular, the banana)
• The principle alkaloid in tomatoes, tomatine, heals certain fungous disorders
• The tomato can be grown in just about any climate from sandy, dry, moist, or salty and in almost any type of soil
• Tomatoes have a natural ripening hormone called ethylene

Cook's Notes:  This is just one of those dishes that requires no recipe.  The basil drizzle is particularly dark because it contains both purple and green basil.  You could make this a Genovese-type pesto by simply adding Parmesan cheese and pine nuts or walnuts.  I also spiced this up with a touch of chile flakes, but this is optional.

A Non-Recipe Recipe:  Wax Beans and Tomatoes with a Spicy Basil Drizzle

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

2 cups wax beans

1 lbs tomatoes, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves 

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 large pinces red chile flakes (optional)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the stem end from the beans.  Steam until cooked, but still slightly crunchy (Time will depend on the age of the beans).

Place the olive oil, basil leaves, garlic, chile flakes, salt, and pepper in a blender.  Process until smooth.

Place the beans and tomatoes on a platter.  Drizzle with the basil puree.

Note:  Save any remaining basil drizzle in a jar topped off with olive oil to prevent oxidation.

Parting Shot:

 Mexico?  No, Morocco

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask before using text or photos.  Thanks!

The Dreaded Beet and a Tempting Recipe

The Dreaded Beet and a Tempting Recipe

by Victoria Challancin

I've never understood why so many people actively dislike the taste of cilantro (coriander) and beets as well, but apparently they do--and ditto for mushrooms, liver, okra, and cactus. As it turns out, I am not genetically predisposed to an aversion to cilantro (yes, this is well-documented) and I find beets to be "earthy" and totally pleasant to eat, whether raw, pickled, or cooked.  But the term "earthy" is the catch.  It turns out that that their earthy flavor, which comes from the same substance that makes the earth smell good after a rain, is the culprit that causes so many to blanch at the thought of ingesting the beautiful beet.

Beets, or beetroot as they are called in British-influenced parts of the world, contain the terpene geosmin which can be a flavor enhancer in small doses, but can overwhelm in larger amounts.  It is what can make catfish, water, wine, and beets taste like mud.

A Bit of Beet History

The beet has a long history indeed.  Cultivated since at least 2000 B.C., the beet has been much-appreciated throughout history.  In its early form as what was called a "sea beet,"  the beet as we know it today originated somewhere along the Mediterranean shores, possibly of North Africa, from where it spread to Babylonia in prehistoric times and later to China.  The lack of a Sanskrit name for it supports the idea that it spread from West to East in very ancient times.  Beets have been excavated in the Saqqara pyramid at Thebes, Egypt as well.  Whether wild or cultivated, it also made an appearance at Neolithic sites in Europe. The tribes that invaded Rome spread it throughout Europe, it was used as animal fodder.   And by the Middle Ages it was commonly cultivated throughout Medieval Europe.  

Known at first as a "pot herb," or edible leafy vegetable, the bulb later also became an important food.

Its early uses were in its leafy form, as is well documented in early Roman and Jewish literary sources of the 1st century.  

Like most plants, medicinal uses also abounded. The ancient Romans used beets for many conditions, including as a treatment for fevers and constipation.  The Roman cookbook Apicius offers five laxative soups, three of which contain beets.  Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, advocated its use in the binding of wounds.  Later, in the Middle Ages, it was used to treat various ailments relating to digestion and the blood.  Some even used it as a remedy for "garlic breath."

Some Fun Facts

• The betalains, or red pigments, found in beets have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support
• Beeturia, a reddening of the urine after the consumption of beets, occurs in 10 -15% of people eating them in normal amounts
• Victorian women used beet juice as a blush
• The British Red Coats wore bright jackets (easy to spot by sharpshooters) dyed with beet juice
• Beets are high in copper, a free radical scavenger
• Beets are high in magnesium, which promotes healthy bones
• Beets are high in iron and phosphorus, both of which produce energy
• Beets are not just rich in anti-oxidants, they are notable for the mix of anti-oxidants they contain (carotenoids, phytonutrients such as anthocyanins, vitamin C, manganese, and more)
• Many of the unique phytonutrients found in beets are also proven to be anti-inflammatory
• The betalin pigments present in beets have been shown to support detox activity in the cells
• Research increasingly cites beets as possible cancer fighters
• Beets are high in fiber
• Because the phytonutrients, such as betalains, diminish with heat, shorter cooking times are best (such as steaming)
• Beets color can be modified during the cooking process--adding an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar will brighten the color  (add 1 tablespoon to cooking water), wile an alkaline substance such as baking soda will often cause them to turn a deeper purple--salt also causes the color to diminish, so add it at the end of cooking time
• Beet powder is used as a coloring agent for many foods, including tomato sauce
• Beets come in a variety of colors (white, yellow, and candy-striped)
• It is estimated that about two-thirds of commercial beet crops end up cans
• Beets can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, pickled, roasted, and sautéed
• To reduce bleeding and to preserve nutrients and flavor, cut the tops off, leaving at least one inch of stems intact, then boil or roast whole and unpeeled
• Roasting is, in my opinion, the best way to prepare beets for intense flavor (preheat oven to 400F, place whole beets, rubbed with olive or vegetable oil, with leaves cut off on aluminum foil on top of a baking sheet, and bake for approximately one hour, depending on size)
• Complimentary herbs and spices include:  allspice, bay leaf, cloves, dill weed, chives, garlic, mustard seed, thyme, and citrus flavors (and after using this recipe, I can add ginger, soy, and sesame!)
• To remove beet stains, rub with wet salt and lemon juice and then wash with soap and water
• To remove stains on cutting boards, use bleach
• Because beets are high in sodium, so no salt is necessary in the cooking water

The following recipe is something I concocted to use the fresh vegetables I bought at our local Saturday organic market, which I have written about several times.  I had earmarked this dressing as something that looked promising, and it certainly was.  I love, love, love this recipe and will use it again and again.

Cook's Notes:  This is such a flexible salad (see suggestions below).  I have carefully written down how I made it, but I simply used what was fresh in my fridge.  Because I pressed the garlic and grated the ginger, I simply whisked everything for the dressing together in a bowl, thus saving a wash of the blender.  I would have preferred green onions here, but didn't have any.  I truly meant to sprinkle the salad with chopped peanuts, but forgot.  You could use all three herbs  (I was hoping to echo some bright Southeast Asian flavors), or stick with only one.  I did use the mayonnaise, but suspect that yogurt would also work just fine.  This was one of tose rare times when I added no salt or pepper (beets are high in sodium naturally), but check your seasonings and adjust to taste.  Oh...the possibilities of ways to change this recipe...

I found this recipe on Smith Bites who quote it as being from The Kitchn, one of my favorite sites.  I tried to find it on the original site, but failed miserably.  How grateful I am to Debra, though, for finding it for me!  A truly delicious and flexible recipe.

Recipe:  Beet and Carrot Slaw with Ginger-Tahini Dressing

(Salad Recipe by Victoria Challancin, Dressing Recipe borrowed from Apartment Therapy--The Kitchn via Debra of Smith Bites)

Salad:

2 medium-large beets, peeled and grated

6 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon minced basil

1 tablespoon minced mint

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

3 tablespoons finely sliced red onion or green onions

Dressing:

1/3 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons tahini

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour over enough dressing to moisten the salad and save the rest for another use (see suggestions below). 

Salad Variations:

• Add chopped nuts:  peanuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, etc
• Add toasted seeds:  sesame, pumpkin, sunflower
• Add jícama, grated or julienned
• Make the base of the salad some sort of cabbage, red or green--or even lettuce--or add kale
• Add a bit of grated apple
• Cubed cucumber?  Sure
• Use the dressing with crudites, summer rolls, or any green salad (good with fruit additions)
• Drizzle the dressing over steamed asparagus, as I did last night
• Use the dressing with some sort of wrap sandwich
• Use the dressing to dress a cold Asian noodle salad

The Salad looks a bit of a mess all mixed up, but truly it was pretty

Parting Shot:

A bit of Mexican humor via my friend Jennifer--one of her many, many examples 

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared (please pass them on), but ask permission before using my photos or text.  Thanks!

¡Salpicón! Spicy Mexican Shredded Beef Salad

                                                                       Salpicón de Res (Beef Salpicon)                    Photograph by Zachary Popovsky

¡Salpicón!  Spicy Mexican Shredded Beef Salad

by Victoria Challancin

Some of you may know salpicon as a French dish of cold chopped cooked ingredients bound by some sort of vinaigrette.  And it certainly is.  In France it is often used as a stuffing to fill canapés, roulades, rissoles, croquettes, tartlets, timbales, and even in omelettes. Usually, the dish is savory, being made of meats, poultry, seafood, or vegetables, but also it can be a sweet dish of chopped fruits and nuts.  The key to understanding the term, though, is that it generally refers to a dish of cooked, chopped ingredients bound by a sauce.

But where I live, in Mexico, the dish takes on a new life.  With that dash of Latin flair, a salpicón becomes something truly special, rich with chiles, avocado, tomato, and onions, spiked with lemon or vinegar.  I have heard the word salpicón translated as a "hodgepodge" or "jumble," which makes sense.  Most recipes are a jumble of freshly prepared ingredients with bright, refreshing flavors.

Throughout Central and South America countless versions of salpicón can be found. Fish (smoked or not), crab, beef, venison, fruit, octopus, and more star in the Latino recipes.  Served either on a tostada, a toasted corn tortilla, as in the above photo, or on a platter, perhaps on a bed of pretty lettuces as a salad, any way you eat it, salpicón, is interesting and fun.

Cook's Notes:  I actually tested this recipe for a Food Network episode.  I chose to use quite a bit less oregano than the original recipe, but that, of course, is up to you.  I also only could find at the time a beef  brisket intended for making corned beef (it came with the "corning" spices in a pouch).  For this reason, I think the meat is a bit pinker than is usual; nevertheless, it tasted absolutely delicious.  Serve it on tostados or not--it is a beautiful salad, when nicely garnished, for the table or a buffet spread.  You could also serve it with a homemade hot sauce, which would be even better.  I also have added a couple of minced chiles chipotles in adobo sauce for a little kick.

Tip:  To shred, use two forks.  Also, if letting the meat cool in the cooking liquid makes you nervous, as it does me, simply chill it quickly by first filling plastic bottles with water and freezing them.  Just drop the bottle or bottles into the hot liquid for a rapid cooling.  Letting the meat rest in the cooled liquid keeps it really moist, but you can also accomplish this in the refrigerator once the liquid is cool enough to put there.

Recipe:  Salpicón

Spicy Mexican Shredded Beef Salad

(Recipe by Marcela Valladolid, from her book Fresh Mexico)

Yield:  12 servings

Meat:
2 pounds boneless beef brisket
1 large onion, quartered
1 tablespoon salt

Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons crumbled dried oregano (I only used 1 teaspoon)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1 cup chopped, seeded, and peeled cucumber
1/2 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 radishes, finely chopped
24 tostadas
3 avocados, halved, petted, peeled and sliced
Bottled hot sauce (recommedned:  Huichol)

Put the brisket in a large pot and add enough water to cover the meat by 2 inches.  Add the onion pieces and 1 tablespoon salt.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 2 1/2 hours, or until the brisket is very tender adding more water if needed to keep the meat covered.

Remove the pot from the heat and let the brisket cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid (see the tip on rapid cooling above).  Drain the brisket, discard the water, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the brisket.  This can be made one day ahead.

Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette by whisking the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, red onion, and oregano in a medium bowl.  Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper, to taste.

Shred the cooled brisket into a large bowl.  Add the tomato, cucumber, capers, cilantro, and radishes.  Toss to combine.  Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat.  Season the salad with additional salt and pepper, if needed.  Spoon enough beef salad on a tostada to cover and then garnish with avocado slices.  Serve with hot sauce.

                         Ways to Use Salpicón:

• Serve it in a chilled martini glass, sprinkled with chopped radishes, avocado, and cilantro
• Serve on a bed of pretty lettuce or a mixture of lettuces--add some sprightly watercress to the mix
• Serve in a shallow pasta plate over a puddle of spicy, tomatoey chilled gazpacho
• Serve in avocado halves
• Serve as a dip (mince the meat instead of shredding it) with totopos, or corn chips
• Use it as a stuffing for gorditas or tiny prepared phyllo cups (or other cups made of mini tortillas or puff pastry
• Top guacamole with some salpicón
• Make wraps using either tortillas or lettuce (or kale) leaves
• Serve it on rounds of thinly sliced, well-chilled jícama
• On crostini, as a lively bruschetta?  You bet!
• Use it as a filling for belle peppers or roasted, peeled poblano peppers
• A bit of crumbled queso fresco or feta or cotija would be nice on top as well
• Missing garlic?  Me too.  I would add a bit to the vinaigrette.
• Make a timbal using ramekins.  Layer with different colored tomato slices and the salpicón mixture
• Use your imagination--this is such a cool, refreshing summertime dish

Parting Shot:

 A touch of color and fun, at the ranch of friends

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Remember that like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using text and photos.  Thanks!

Olives, Preserved Lemons, and a Moroccan Tagine

Moroccan "tagine" olives

Olives, Preserved Lemons, and a Moroccan Tagine

by Victoria Challancin

What exactly is a tagine, you might ask?  A tagine is the name of an earthenware cooking dish with a tall, conical lid, used throughout North Africa.  It is also the name of any meat or vegetables stews cooked in it (think of a French Provençal tian, which is both the name of the cooking vessel and the au gratin vegetable dish cooked in it).  You may remember the tiny "tagines" I showed you on the post I wrote on cumin.

The Cooking Vessel

Tagines are very practical cooking vessels which originated with the Berbers of North Africa.  The harsh constraints of the desert lifestyle requires a pot which needs minimal fuel and precious liquid.  The distinctive dome shape of the traditional earthenware tagines accomplish this efficently.  By using clay (though many other modern materials can now be found), often with a metal diffuser, the heat beneath the pot effectively dissapates and thus reduces the amount of fuel required to cook the dish.  The conical top also aids in this process of economy as all of the rising steam and vapors from the cooking stew accumulate, condense, and fall back into the simmering braise, so that none of the aroma or flavor is lost during the cooking process. The unique design of the tagine makes it a perfect portable, practical, useful dish which fits the needs both the modern cook of today and of the nomadic Berbers of hundreds of years ago.

These traditional tagines contain simmering stews over clay braziers--these at a roadside stand in Central Morocco

The bottom of a tagine is a wide, circular shallow dish used for both cooking and serving.  The top has a tall, conical shape, or a lower rounded one.  Made of clay or even ceramics, the tagines can be basic and utilitarian (what you find in most homes in Morocco) or elaborately decorative, fit for display.  Some of the beautifully decorative pieces are only used for serving, not for the cooking itself.

The vegetables atop the tagine give hints as to what the dish might contain

An individual-serving size tagine at a cooking class in Marrakech--the smaller tagines contain the dried spices used to make the stew (ginger, black pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and black pepper)

A pile of unglazed tagines in the northern city of Chefchaouen--note the different regional styles

Tiny decorative salt and pepper tagines in the coastal city of Essaouira

Examples of the actual base of the cooking vessel in which the stews were cooked, served piping hot right to the table--here we have a vegetable tagine and two with lamb and prunes

The Tagine as Food

In terms of tagines as food rather than pots, there is a wide variety of both traditional dishes and modern interpretations.  Traditional tagines include "sweet"  and savory tagines.  A common example of a "sweet" tagine is lamb with dried fruits such as figs, prunes, dates, or apricots, often sweetened with a touch of honey.  Fresh fruits such as quince, apples, pears also make appearances.  One favorite savory tagine that I actively seek out all over Morocco uses preserved ingredients such as olives and salted lemons as seen in the following recipe.  Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are also commonly included.  Vegetables include tomatoes (yes, I know, it is a fruit...), carrots, potatoes, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, green beans, and eggplant.  Mint, parsley, and cilantro are the most common herbs used in Moroccan cuisine.  As for the spices, that is a book unto itself...check out my post on Ras el Hanout

or The Spices of Morocco Parts I and II. 

In a Moroccan souk:  Preserved lemons 

One of my personal favorite tagines is Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons.  Common throughout Morocco, it can be found on tables humble as well as elegant.  Trust me, I seek it out wherever I travel in the country...as well as duck with figs, rabbit with prunes...oh so many.  But truly,  I love both olives and preserved lemons so much, that this just may be my favorite.  Below is an easy recipe from Tyler Florence that yields good results.  Because I didn't have a jar of preserved lemons on hand (my homemade ones disappear quickly), I used a recipe that you can make in under an hour.  I also had to use imported Spanish green olives instead of the traditional lavender-hued or pink/purple ones called simply "tagine" olives in Morocco.

For more photos and information on olives and the olive harvest in Morocco, I invite you to check out these pasts posts or visit the Travel Blog Section in the drop-down menu with more from Morocco):


The Olive Harvest, Part I  (an introduction)
The Olive Harvest, Part II (the pressing of the olives)
The Olive Harvest, Part III (the processed olives)
A Cooking Class at La Maison Arabe in Marrakech (with a photo of this same chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons)

An olive and preserved lemon display from the Fez, or Fes, souk

Cook's Notes:  Do these preserved lemons taste like the real things, which are left to season for a month or more?  Absolutely not.  They lack the depth of flavor, the subtleties, the softness of properly preserved salted lemons.  Are the an acceptable substitute?  Yes, in a pinch.  If I don't actually preserve some lemons soon (I do this periodically), then I might next try Mark Bittman's Quick Preserved Lemons which seem to me to be more of a confit than what you find in Morocco.  Bittman's version uses both salt and sugar, which might soften the edge a bit.  Whichever version you choose, start with unwaxed lemons, either Eureka or Meyer types.  If they are waxed, blanch them in boiling water for about 20 seconds, then rub them with a towel to remove the wax.  Kosher salt works best here, but if you use regular table salt, use less.  If you want to make proper Moroccan Preserved Lemons, just check online as there are countless versions.

Recipe:  Quick Preserved Lemons

(Recipe by Kitty Morse for Cooking LIght)

1 cup water

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 lemons, washed and quartered

Combine water and salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.  Add lemons; cook 30 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup and lemon rind is tender.  Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemons

Cook's Notes:  This is a nice version of a classic dish.  If you can find the purple "tagine" olives, by all means use them.  Ditto for preserved lemons, should you have access to lemons preserved for a lengthy time. Do remember to remove the bay leaves, as they can actually cut the esophagus if accidentally chewed and swallowed. 

Recipe:  Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemons

(Adapted slightly from a Recipe from Food Network, Tyler Florence, Moroccan in Miami)

Serves 4 to 8

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon whole cloves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

1 handfull fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 large pinch saffron

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) free-range chicken, cut into 10 pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 preserved lemon (see the recipe)

1/2 cup cracked green olives

1 cup chicken stock

A mise en place of spices for this dish

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin paprika,red pepper flakes,and cloves until they become fragrant.  Remove from the heat and grind in a spice grinder.

In a bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken, add the oil, spice mix, garlic, ginger, cilantro,bay leaves, and saffron.  Mix to a paste.  Add chicken, rubbing the marinade, olives,and chicken stock. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve marinade.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  In a tagine or large casserole over medium high heat add 2 tablespoon olive oil.  Put in chicken pieces and lightly brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.  Add onions and cook until just starting to brown,about 3 minutes.  Rinse preserved lemon well.  Scoop out flesh and discard; cut peel into strips and add to pan.  Add reserved marinade, olives,and chicken stock.  Cover tightly and cook over medium low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove bay leaves and discard.  Taste juices and adjust seasoning.  Place chicken on a warm platter.  Spoon juices with the preserved lemon, olives,and onions over chicken and serve immediately.

Another version of the same recipe

 The mise en place of spices for the second version

All you need for this tagine, in the souk of Meknès

Like what you see?  Join me in Morocco in fall of 2012 or spring of 2013 on my small-group trips.  Contact me at flavorsofthesun@gmail.com for information

Parting Shot:

From a cooking class at La Maison Arabe in Marrakech on one of my trips to Morocco

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using photos or text.  Thanks!