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Holding on to Summer, for just a bit longer…

Holding on to Summer, for just a bit longer…

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The Harvest Moon was magnificent in New York last night- signaling the official arrival of Fall with the Autumnal Equinox arriving in 1 Day, 4 Hours and 42 Minutes from now- marking the end of summer.

But I’m not ready for pumpkin spiced lattes quite yet. Don’t get me wrong, I love Autumn and live for the color and beauty that will soon serenade us. But this year, there’s a desire to hold on to summer, just a bit longer.

After months indoors and away from loved ones earlier in the year, outdoor gatherings were more special this summer. Aside from a fondness for grilling and backyard soirees, I love the simple joys of the summer- including the garden erupting with color. After June’s blooms and July’s long days, the garden’s glory in the month of August was, exactly that, glorious.

The roses perfumed the oasis. The hydrangeas courted the bumble bees, and the marigolds echoed the scent of the earth while murmuring the colors of the sun. And amidst the garden’s complete unawareness of a global pandemic, we were able to come together. In backyards and parks and beaches, slightly less weary of the difficulties brought on by the crisis. Summer is synonymous with joy… this summer we went into it with hopes it would be better than the last and looked forward to reuniting with friends and family. And of course, we shared delectable meals together.

The gatherings were smaller, but the flavors were big none the less. From beautiful salads with fresh herbs, to gorgeous grilled vegetables or citrusy seafood served with chilled wine and casual elegance. There were times we deferred to a classic American burger too, but whatever we ate, we enjoyed it together and felt alive again.

Savory Salmon with Herbs, Sweet Rainbow Grilled Vegetables, Refreshing Watermelon and Feta Salad, and Roasted Zucchini Salad with Parmesan and Balsamic Greens are a few favorite recipes which capture the ethos of summer.

And while Autumn may be 1 Day, 4 Hours and now 32 Minutes away, we can capture the spirit of summer at any time by making these recipes and remembering fondly the smiling faces we shared them with once upon a summer.

Summer is casual so big doesn’t mean complicated, rather bold flavors highlighting the flavors of the season prepared along with family favorites.

Savory Salmon with Fresh Herbs

Rainbow Grilled Vegetable Platter

Roasted Zucchini Salad with Parmesan and Balsamic greens

Watermelon Feta Salad

Fresh Mint and Basil from the Garden
The Ever-Ethereal Knockout Roses
French Lavender adored by Bumble Bees & Butterflies
Lavender + Mint Iced Tea
Golden Marigolds with their heavenly earthy scent

Musical Inspiration: “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young

Savory Salmon with Fresh Herbs

Savory Salmon with Fresh Herbs

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Salmon can be prepared in a myriad of different ways with equally delicious results.

Naturally tender and easy to prepare it’s a go-to in my home all year round. In the summer, I love the smokey char of grilled salmon on a charcoal fire. But that method of cooking is the exception. I also love pan seared salmon with crispy skin action, but that method can be a bit messy and smokey. So I often turn to roasting salmon in the oven. The preparation could not be simpler. And it works even in the warmer months when oven use is not ideal, given how quickly salmon cooks.

Salmon baked or broiled in the oven is a quick way to weeknight dinner bliss or an elegant dinner party main course. My Butter Salmon and Spicy Saffron-Dill Salmon recipes are only second to this Savory Salmon baked with lemon, olive oil and herbs. It’s the simplest option which guarantees a wonderful meal in less than thirty minutes.

While perfectly delicious as is, this is a blanc canvas of salmon recipes and I encourage you to experiment with flavors. Make it your own by trying different herbs, adding a spice rub, dusting with zaatar, coating the salmon with sesame seeds. Maybe a mix of teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Soy sauce and brown sugar, better yet, a mixture of Dijon mustard and brown sugar, yum! Tangerine and Thyme is a nice combination, but I usually save that for Red Snapper. Lemon zest and chives… Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme! You get it, the options are endless so have fun with it!

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds skin-on, center-cut salmon fillet
¼ cup fresh lemon, lime or orange juice, plus additional wedges, for serving
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Handful of fresh dill, about 4 tablespoon, chopped


Preparation

Heat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the center position.
Place salmon skin-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Spoon over lemon juice all over the fish. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper in that order.
If using, sprinkle chopped herbs on top of the salmon while reserving some for garnish.
Roast the salmon skin-side down until cooked through to your liking, about 12-15 minutes for medium.
Garnish with more dill and serve with extra citrus wedges and enjoy!

Roasted Zucchini Salad with Parmesan and Balsamic Greens

Roasted Zucchini Salad with Parmesan and Balsamic Greens

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Sweet grilled zucchini is a delight and while wonderful on its own or as a side dish, on this salad it holds the starring role. It’s simple to make, healthy and qiuet delicious once caramelized after roasting.

Ingredients

2 large zucchini, sliced in 1/2 inch thick, 4 inch long pieces

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

4 cups fresh arugula

Good quality Parmesan cheese

A handful of fresh mint

3-4 radish, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon good quality Italian balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Slice zucchini and dress with olive oil, salt, pepper, mixing to coat evenly

Arrange zucchini slices on a baking sheet, taking care not to overlap them (this will cause them to steam instead of getting golden brown).

Roast until the zucchini is tender and nicely browned and caramelized, 13 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool while you assemble the salad.

In a large serving plate, spread the arugula and some fresh torn mint leaves. Drizzle greens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Layer cooked zucchini, shaved parmesan cheese, radish. You can also add or substitute crumbled feta or ricotta cheese.

Drizzle the salad with more olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Garnish with more mint leaves and serve.

Watermelon Feta Salad

Watermelon Feta Salad

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The quintessential salad of summer! Watermelon with feta, fresh mint, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Sweet watermelon and salty feta compliment each other beautifully  and the fragrant mint takes the refreshing flavors to new levels of delight. 

This is a no-recipe recipe. Ingredient quantities don’t have to be exact for great results. You can also play with adding peppery arugula, chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion or some diced chilies for a bit of heat. Add a squeeze of lemon or red wine vinegar if you add these other vegetables.  Feel free to substitute fresh basil or oregano for mint, all work nicely. A drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar could be a nice addition to this salad- if you do add those make sure to serve and eat immediately.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ -3 pounds seedless watermelon (about 1 small or 1/4 large), rind removed, cut into 2-inch chunks or varying sized triangular pieces.
  • ½- ¾ cup cup feta cheese
  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish.
  • 2 tablespoons olive olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 cups arugula (optional)
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  • Place watermelon chunks in a large bowl. 
  • Add olive oil, mint, and arugula (if using) and gently toss until watermelon is evenly dressed. 
  • Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper. (The feta will add saltiness, so be light handed with the salt).
  • Transfer salad to a wide, shallow platter and spread out evenly. 
  • Crumble feta over the top. Drizzle with more olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper.
  • Garnish with remaining herbs and serve immediately.

~Tip
Ideally you want to use Greek or Bulgarian sheep’s-milk feta for a creamier and tangier flavor than what most domestic cow’s milk cheeses provide.

Watermelon is wonderful. We love enjoying it all summer long. Just as it, along with fresh mint from the herb garden, or in the recipe highlighted above with creamy feta cheese. Happy Summer!


The Perfect Burger Recipe

The Perfect Burger Recipe

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For years I hosted a big Memorial Day BBQ for our friends and family. The menu was simple but the flavors were big. So was the guest list. The menu featured classics like burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and veggies, along with lots of side salads and condiments like homemade pickles.

The star of the show, a classic American Hamburger. Over times I learned to perfect what friends light-heartedly call “The Naz Burger”. It’s simple to make and a crowd pleaser. I may pride myself on the hundreds I’ve made over the years, but the truth is anyone can make a great burger if you use good quality meat and keep the seasoning minimal. My not-so-secret-anymore secret recipe is beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. That’s it. Four ingredients to bliss. 

In my opinion, a charcoal grill is best. Of course you can make burgers on any grill or even on an indoor skillet, but to capture the true essence of a good old American cookout, a perfect smokey grilled burger is the ticket.

Tips~

  • For maximum flavor, ideally you want meat that is composed of at least 20 percent fat.
  • Keep meat in the fridge until ready, cooking burgers cold keeps bits of fat solid, resulting in great flavor.
  • Make evenly shaped patties, ensuring one side is not thicker than the other for even cooking.
  • Creating an indentation in the center of the patty prior to cooking helps prevent bulging once on the grill. 
  • No matter what you’ve seen on TV, resist the urge to press down on the burgers with a spatula, this only spews juices on the fire, causing the burger to dry out and the flames to flare up, charring the meat. If burger is cooking too quickly, simply move to a colder side of the grill.

Ingredients
3 pounds ground chuck beef, 20% fat
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
6 Brioche or regular hamburger buns

Preparation

  • Start a charcoal fire or turn on your gas grill to medium-high.
  • In a large bowel, combine Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper with meat, gently mixing all ingredients by hand. Careful not to overwork the meat.
  • Form the patties into approximate 4″-diameter, 3/4″-thick burgers, simultaneously pressing the top and the side to ensure they are not too loose. Continue rotating and cupping the meat until you’ve formed a  patty.
  • Using your thumb make small indentation in the center of the burger without going all the way through (patties will resemble donuts).
  • Place burgers on the hot grill and cook, without moving for about 3-4 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the hamburger over and cook for another 3-4 minutes for medium.
  • Remove the burgers from the grill and rest them for a few minutes while you toast the buns.
  • Top the burgers with whichever condiments and toppings that you enjoy. 

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Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

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Happy 4th of July from Basil & Roses! Hopefully you’re having a wonderful holiday, taking a moment to learn about our history (here’s a reading of the Declaration of Independence), and if you’re lucky like me, enjoying a nice hot summer day with friends & family.

And of course what would a summer holiday be without gathering around the fire for the great American pastime of BBQ!

We love to grill around here and what better than a juicy and delicious burger topped with homemade pickled onions? Nothing complicated. In fact, the secret to incredible burgers is shockingly simple! It all hinges on one single secret ingredient… Worcestershire sauce!

Good beef, salt, pepper, and the delicious umami flavor of Worcestershire sauce, which marries beautifully with meat. That’s it!

Homemade pickled onions are just as simple, but add a real nice tang and contrast the natural fats of the beef.

Happy grilling, friends!

Cauliflower with Cardamom-Kissed Schug & A Trip Around the World

Cauliflower with Cardamom-Kissed Schug & A Trip Around the World

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“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes,” said Mark Twain. Travel has always given me a sense of adventure, but more importantly a new window to the world, a new color palette, a new paradigm, and indeed a new set of eyes.

I travel as often as possible but one need not physically go to a place to experience the magic of other cultures. Inspiration is everywhere. If you live in New York, go to Queens! A short subway ride and you can taste food from all over the world. Queens is the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world. And what better way to embark on a voyage of discovery than experiencing cuisine?

We can virtually travel too. Explore a farmer’s market in Kuwait or go to the kitchen of a Mother-Daughter team cooking together. Joyfully visit the sunny kitchen of an effervescent former New Yorker in Tel Aviv celebrating the colorful bounty of Mediterranean produce. The passionate food of a hungry Egyptian living in Australia, or the nostalgia of Pakistani cuisine by way of a culinary teacher in Glasgow. Notice a pattern? Of course here at Basil & Roses: A culmination of the flavors of my Jewish, Iranian-American heritage, with hopes of transforming you to a beautiful place and time.

You can find your own favorites. There are so many. For now, will you travel to North Africa with me?

Schug! (Skug, Zhug, Zhoug). A gorgeous green chili sauce of Yemeni origin. It is fresh, bright, spicy,  and verdant. The herbs are cool, the chilies pack heat, and the playful dance between coriander and cardamom create a unique flavor which is unbeatable. 

You can use many chilies with veins and seeds removed, or use a few and include all the feel-good, dopamine-releasing, capsaicin-filled parts of the euphoric the spice. The adventure is up to you.

Schug works well on roasted cauliflower, but also brightens rich foods. Great on grilled meats, in a soup, on a sandwich or mixes with yogurt or labneh to sass up grilled vegetables. 

Afiyet olsun!
(That’s bon appetit in Turkish! More Turkish inspiration here ).

Ingredients
4-6 Serrano chiles or 6 green jalapeños, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 cups tightly packed fresh parsley leaves
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoons ground cumin
Zest and juice from 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for storing
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation

  1. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients, except the oil. Pulse until a coarse paste forms — stopping and scraping the sides of the food processor if necessary.

  2. Transfer the herb mixture to a large bowl and stir in the oil and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper or lemon to taste.
  3. Transfer the Schug to an airtight container, cover with a bit of olive oil to preserve and refrigerate.

~Note
You can use whole coriander and cumin seeds. Roast them for 1 minute in a dry pan release the oils and aroma of the spices crushing them with a mortar and pestle and adding to the mix

Note:
The Schug was phenomenal over roasted cauliflower.
I smeared Greek Yogurt on the plate (labneh also works well), then topped with cauliflower + Schug.

Just keep in mind you don’t need to season your cauliflower much when you roast it, the green sauce already packs tons of amazing flavor.

Pretty Pickled Onions

Pretty Pickled Onions

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Looking for a new condiment for the Ultimate Naz Burger.  I started experimenting with fun pickling ideas – these pickled onions have become a family favorite since.

We put them on everything. They work with countless dishes by adding a refreshing zing. Perfect on tacos, simple eggs, avocado toast, or to add a tangy crunch to salads and sandwiches. They also offer balanced flavor to anything rich or sweet such as caramelized roasted butternut squash, a creamy soup, or fresh avocados.

Pickled onions have been an indispensable ingredient in my kitchen for years. Not only do they turn into a gorgeous magenta jewel-toned color in the brine mixture, their crunchy tangy goodness adds new levels of delicious to the party.

They take about 10 minutes to make. Full instructions are below, but you basically slice onions and submerge in a bath of vinegar, water, sugar and salt. The ratio in this recipe is seeking the perfect balance but it’s a forgivable recipe which you can make your own by adjusting sweetness and acid levels or playing with different vinegars. Just know basic white vinegar is good enough.

This is a quick pickle recipe so it comes together “quickly.” Within about 20 minutes it will taste great. Even better overnight in the fridge. You can add aromatics like garlic, thyme and peppercorns if you like, but this simple, four-ingredient version will be just as great without the extras.

 

Ingredients-
1/2 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar or both
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

Optional Aromatics-
Small pinch of mustard seeds
Sliced garlic
Peppercorns
Fresh Thyme

Directions-
Slice onions as thinly as possible. A mandolin can be helpful but be careful if using.
Place onions in a clean, high-quality airtight glass jar.
If adding optional aromatics, add them to jar now. 

In a separate bowl combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Mix until dissolved.
Pour liquid over the onions in the jar and let sit at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes. Cover and chill.

Serve with your favorite dishes and enjoy!

Like the recipe? Feel free to share with us your rendition on our Basil and Roses Facebook page or @basilandroses on Instagram using the hashtag #PrettyPickledOnions 

 

Lavender & Mint Infused Iced Tea

Lavender & Mint Infused Iced Tea

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Both Lavender and Mint are wonderfully  fragrant on their own. Combined, that heavenly fragrance is even better! Both grow in full abundance this time of year and I like to get creative with how to use these prolific herbs. I recently created “floral” arrangements with these beauties and they were magnificent.

Lavender + Mint are also a great combo in iced tea. I like making big batches of it and keeping it chilled in the fridge for hot summer days. A refreshing, clean, and aromatic thirst-quenching delight!

Keep in mind, you need a small amount of lavender, you don’t want your beverage to taste like potpourri. You can adjust the amount of mint and lemon to your preference. Personally, I LOVE mint and lemon so I don’t hold back- but experiment and find the balance you enjoy best.

Ingredients:
6 Sadaf Cardamom black tea bags (or any Earl Grey Tea)
18-20 cups of water, boiled
3 lemons
A big handful of fresh mint (approximately 2 cups)
5 fresh lavender sprigs, removed from the stem and thoroughly washed
1/2 cup sugar (this is a lightly sweetened recipe, increase sugar if you prefer it to be sweeter)

Directions:
Boil water and pour in a large bowl.
Dip tea bags in hot water a few times, then leave to seep in the bowl.
Add sugar and mix until dissolved.
Add lavender.
Slap mint in your palms to release the natural oils and add to tea mixture.
Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into mixture (adjust to taste).
Slice remaining lemon, add to tea and mix all ingredients.
Let sit for 30-60 minutes, allowing the aromatics to infuse the tea.
The kitchen will smell amazing at this point!

Once cooled, refrigerate and serve with ice and garnish with a lemon slice and more mint (optional).
Enjoy!