Middle Eastern Cuisine

There is no question that Middle Eastern cuisine has gotten people’s attention in this country, both in the form of restaurants and cookbooks. I have spent several weeks in the off-season experimenting with recipes from cookbooks such as Jerusalem, The Lebanese Cookbook, A Taste of Persia and Zahav (a wonderful book on Israeli cuisine) and gradually falling in love with the nuanced flavors and textures of these cuisines. While food from this part of the world is extremely diverse, I find that most of the recipes are easily replicated in the US, as so many of the ingredients are available to us. In this class, we will make homemade hummus, tabouli, sea salted flatbread, grilled eggplant and zucchini with labneh and sumac, turmeric Israeli cous-cous with currants, grilled lamb with a homemade za’atar and an apricot and cardamom roll, laden with pistachios and finished with rose water.

On the longest day of the year, we were  lucky to have Sandra Oliver join us for a collaborative dinner with our head chef Justin Barrett at Salt Water Farm in Rockport Harbor.  We pulled recipes from Sandy’s newest book, “Maine Home Cooking,” many of which are inspired by her column in the Bangor Daily News, entitled “Tast Buds.”  She was accompanied by her partner, Tobey, who spoke to us about island culture, the summer club that they host on Islesboro together and the beautiful garden from which they pull their ingredients.  The meal was historic in nature, honoring Maine’s culinary traditions.  We began with a finnan haddie brandade and ployes, which are a buckwheat pancake, once used to mop up everything on the plate in earlier times.  Next, we enjoyed a simply made Rockport Harbor Lobster Stew followed by a Tourtiere, made with locally raised pork, English peas, leeks & mint.  We finished the meal with a rhubarb custard tart, served with elderflower cream.  Sandy is Maine’s premier food historian and makes wonderful company at the table.

The cooking school is underway.  On Saturday, June 15th, we taught our first class, “A Celebration of Spring Greens” to eight enthusiastic students with aspiring green thumbs.  We harvest a bounty of produce from our gardens and made a feast out of tender greens.  Dishes included a spring greens pesto made of arugula, colt’s foot, nasturtium leaves and mustard greens, a frittata with baby kale and spears of asparagus from our garden beds, a spinach salad with sherry vinaigrette and “fork & knife” bacon and an outstanding rhubarb cake for dessert.  Students left with a enriched appreciation for growing food in their own backyards and making a meal, without going to the grocery store.  Oh, and I had to include a photo of my father’s very first honey harvest, not to be forgotten.  Until next time . . . Annemarie

By Irene Yadao

If you haven’t already picked up a copy of The Community Table Cookbook, we highly recommend it.  Not only does it benefit a great cause — MCH Meals on Wheels, which delivers hundreds of meals to seniors in Knox County every day — it’s also a delightful read, featuring recipes and stories from various writers, artists, home cooks and chefs within the community.

There’s a stuffed artichoke recipe from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo, a curry chicken recipe from mystery writer Tess Gerritsen, a recipe for Pottsfield Pickles from Nancy Harmon Jenkins, and a decadent chocolate mousse recipe from photographer Patrisha McLean, whose photographs of Meals on Wheels recipients are featured in the cookbook.

Many local establishments, including Billy’s Tavern, Swan’s Way, and Suzuki’s Sushi Bar, shared some of their favorite recipes.  Salt Water Farm’s Annemarie Ahearn contributed a special lasagna recipe, accompanied by a short story recalling one of her first memories of cooking in the kitchen with her grandmother.

The book is comprised of stories both humorous and heart-warming, and celebrates the various ways we nurture each other and our community.

You can find the book locally at Rayr, The Bagel Cafe, Hello Hello Books, The Reading Corner and Sweets & Meats.  It can also be purchased online at www.mchinc.org.

Photograph by Patrisha McLean courtesy of MCH  Meals on Wheels.