It’s seasonal produce at its BEST!
A couple of weekends ago, I had the chance to hide among the tall fava bean plants and dive deep to collect the long green pods.
I also kneeled down the search for the fresh pea pods hiding underneath barricades of pea vines. I stepped on numerous ones, despite being careful, attempting to reach a handful of pods sunbathing together in the open.
I go back to the archive and see what recipes should I make and add to keep a variety. I find that I should no longer post any salad recipe. But HOW CAN I? I LOVE SALADS
Mind you, when I say SALAD, I don’t mean lettuce and tomato and cucumber. This is a plain old [BORING] salad.
My salads are usually fun and exciting as I use ingredients that are not typical in restaurants. I love mixing between grains like lentils and freekeh, and big filling vegetables like zucchinis, carrots, peppers, and radishes, and leafy greens like the superfood spinach and rockets leaves and chards. All those are things you can easily get in the produce shops with an average price tag.
Are you fed up with the cold rainy weather like I am? The gloomy skies and drenched jackets and the hassle of umbrellas. It ain’t no fun singing in the rain!
Fortunately the storm has passed and it is sunny these few days. Although I’m not going out as much as I’d like to, but I’m getting my share of sunshine here and there.
Last year, I bought a handmade clay plate from Bkerzay and I’ve wanted to show it off by having few ingredients on it. But as I’m not really into making fine dining plates yet, I show it off with this salad from what I have at home.
Lentils are one of the grains we have here but it really annoys me that we only use it in classical and sometimes boring ways. They are a staple in our middle eastern cabinets and I always liked to play around and use them in fresh dishes. Continue reading
Remember when we were a republic with no president?
Not anymore. Orange is literally the new black. After more than two years with no president finally the Lebanese parties (most of them at least, the ones who got a share of the cake) have agreed to vote for a candidate. Two hours of labor in the parliament proved that we still have a wicked sense of humor despite all, and that keeping the child in you alive is super important even if you’re a member of the parliament. Nothing feels good like re-living classroom fights between the bullies in the back, the nerds in the front, the teacher on the platform by the blackboard, and the supervisor pretending to be monitoring that everything is going as planned. All on live TV
Politics aside, it is purely coincidental that I am posting an orange pumpkin on such a day. This recipe was supposed to go last week as part of Pumpkin Week with the EatTheLebaneseSeason squad, our initiative to give recipes on how to cook and use local seasonal produce. But here it is: a super flavorful salad that can sub for a main meal with all the goodness it is packed with.
Summer is officially over. Today marks the start of Autumn, but the weather has already changed with a mellowing breeze and yellowing trees. There’s a charm about this season. Villagers and orchard owners believe that this is the most generous time of the year. The crops are plenty and the orchards look beautiful with the trees and vines bearing fruits from all colors.
Cook in Five Square Meters 
