RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Ruth Heiges Stewed Leafy Greens w/Tahini - pareve
In the current cooking column by Zillah Bahar in the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, she writes: "Paula Wolfert has been writing about the cuisines of the Mediterranean region since the early '70s. In the more recent of her six cookbooks on the subject, Israeli recipes have been cropping up as the country's national cuisine takes shape. "Although Israel is highly influenced by European culture, Wolfert predicts that the prevailing food style will be Middle Eastern in its essence. 'I don't see Ashkenazi food surviving,' she said in an interview, just before embarking on a fall tour to promote her _Mediterranean Greens and Grains._" It's my bet that Wolfert spoke with some of the Israeli chefs featured in the cover story of the current "Jerusalem Report" magazine. (Unfortunately, the online version does not carry this story.) The message of that article is that Israelis are, at last, developing a penchant for more refined dining and that this Israeli ~haute cuisine~ is largely Mediterranean in character. The comparison in this article is not to Ashkenazi food, however, but to European ~haute cuisine~. I've lived in Israel for 21 years, and Ashkenazi food has never been a factor on the culinary scene during that time. There is only a handful of such restaurants even in Tel Aviv, and I believe they will always have their core clientele. My personal take is that the period of ~nouvelle cuisine~, which found a lot of young Israeli chefs experimenting with that concept vis-a-vis both the Jewish dietary laws and locally raised products, served as a transition into the current period. I've not included the recipe for zhug, which appears with this article, since I think the ones we've had submitted recently are much better. Bahar notes, "Sumac ... is an edible berry with a distinctive sour, lemony flavor. You'll find the more exotic varieties of greens used in the recipes in farmers' markets." Ruth --From "Mediterranean Greens and Grains" by Paula Wolfert (367 pages, HarperCollins, $27.50). STEWED LEAFY GREENS WITH TAHINI Serves 4 1 pound young, mild-flavored leafy greens (mallow, lamb's-quarters, Swiss chard, flat-leaf spinach) -- or -- 1 cup fully cooked mixed leafy greens, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 Tbs. olive oil 1/2 cup homemade tahini sauce (see note) salt freshly ground black pepper ground sumac Steam uncooked greens until tender and drain well. Press to express all moisture. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, sauté the garlic in the oil until golden, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the cooked greens and cook, stirring 1 minute. Set aside to cool. In a bowl combine the greens with 5 Tbs. of the prepared tahini sauce, mixing until completely blended. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow dish. Thin the remaining tahini until it has the consistency of creamed soup. Drizzle over the greens and sprinkle with ground sumac. Note: To make 1/2 cup homemade tahini sauce, blend 4 Tbs. tahini with 3 Tbs. lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Add 3 Tbs. ice water, salt and 1 crushed clove garlic and process until smooth. Thin with additional cold water to make 1/2 cup. ------ East Bay writer Zillah Bahar is author of "Kosher Light: Your Traditional Jewish Favorites Cooked Healthy" (Viking). Copyright Notice (c) 1998, San Francisco Jewish Community Publications Inc., dba Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. www.jewishsf.com/jb/cook.htm September 4, 1998
