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Category: Gorgeous Greens

Holding on to Summer, for just a bit longer…

Holding on to Summer, for just a bit longer…

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

Lavender & Mint Infused Iced Tea

Lavender & Mint Infused Iced Tea

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.

June in the Garden

June in the Garden

These days there is much to do in the garden: weeding, feeding and pruning to name a few. But it’s all worth it as everything is literally “coming up roses,” and the garden is seemingly dancing in the sun. June is one of the loveliest months in the garden.

We just passed the summer solstice, which heralds the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the year. It is when the Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt and we are closest to the sun. Just like us, the garden thrives from the rays of sunshine and life activity with all of its seen and unseen matter is just as luminescent as the rays that feed it.

The roses are gloriously perfuming the oasis. The hydrangeas are in early stages of color while courting the bumble bees. The marigolds echo the scent of the earth while murmuring the colors of the sun. The day lilies are bursting with gold while flirting with the wind. The white lilies are starting to grow under the fallen blanket of white dogwood petals which retired it’s borrowed stardust in spring. And the herb garden is erupting with aromas of basil, sweet mint, lemon thyme and French lavender. The butterflies are ecstatic and so is this humble gardener. There is something especially satisfying in seeing your hard work literally “bloom” into beauty.

“We bury our seeds and wait,
Winter blocks the road,
Flowers are taken prisoner underground,
But then green justice tenders a spear.”
~Rumi

 

 

The Evergreen Chimichurri Sauce

The Evergreen Chimichurri Sauce

I experienced my first real chimichuri sauce when visiting Argentina and Uruguay in 2009 and it was love at first taste! This fresh, clean, garlicy, slightly spicy green goodness that elevated the incredible steaks we ate in Buenos Aires and beyond.

Over the years, I’ve perfected my recipe and use in on more than just steaks. It’s excellent on chicken, fish and my personal favorite- cauliflower steaks! (recipe coming soon).

A fantastic condiment that is pretty easy to whip up. I usually make a batch and use it throughout the week.

 

Nowruz! The Beginning of Spring & The Persian New Year

Nowruz! The Beginning of Spring & The Persian New Year

My favorite time of year has arrived! The first day of Spring marks the Persian New year, celebrated for over 3,000 years. It translates to “new day” and represents a fresh new beginning. Scientifically called the vernal equinox, it occurs the exact moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and spring begins in the Northern hemisphere. The duration of the day and night are equal, on so begins a new cycle of life.

As a child growing up in Iran and for the last 27 years in my Iranian-American diaspora community, Nowruz not only evokes fresh beginnings, but it also connects me to  my family’s traditions and an ancient heritage left in the distant places where my ancestors once used to live out their hopes and aspirations.

The notion of hope and a fresh chapter in the story of life, is universal. Nowruz is celebrated by an estimated 190-250 million people around the world and has been kept alive through a series of beautiful and meaningful symbolic traditions. Growing up the scents of memories of Nowruz were distinct: smelling the hyacinth (sombol) wafting through the house, shopping at the market for greens and goldfish, spring cleaning, leaping over bonfires, buying new clothes, reading the poetry of the eternal Hafez of Shiraz and sharing festive meals with loved ones. These traditions are what make this holiday so special. We set a haftseen, a table filled with symbolic items to represent some of these traditions. We visit loved ones, exchange gifts and eat lots of beautiful foods and sweets.  There is symbolism in the food as well. For example Persians traditionally eat “Sabzi Polo Mahi”- Basmati rice with fresh dill accompanied by fish.  The fresh herbs represent rebirth and fish represents life.  Some of the symbolism of the haftseen is mentined below. These are just to name a few. In the coming days I’ll be posting the various recipes of the delicious food we enjoy over this festive holiday.

For the moment here is the Basil and Roses menu and a sneak peek of the dishes we enjoy over this 13 day holiday.

Wishing you all a beautiful New Day and all the best new beginnings your hearts desire! Nowruz Mobarak!
نوروزتان پیروز ، هر روزتان نوروز !

Sabzeh/Sprouts- grass grown from wheat or lentils, representing rebirth

Seeb/Apple– representing health and beauty

Samanu– A sweet creamy pudding, representing humility

Senjed– sweet and dry fruit of the lotus tree, representing love

Serkeh/Vinager- representing age and patience

Seer/Garlic– representing medicine and good health

Somaq/Sumac– A spice representing sunrise and light overcoming darkness

Musical Inspiration

Leila Forouhar- Nowrooz

Green Garden Herb Basmati Rice with Dill, Cilantro, Rosemary & Chive and an unexpected trip home

Green Garden Herb Basmati Rice with Dill, Cilantro, Rosemary & Chive and an unexpected trip home

Thanks everyone for the feedback on this recipe! Many of you asked for instructions on how to make our fragrant basmati rice without a rice cooker. We gave it a go and the results were equally wonderful with delicious tahdig (crunchy bottom) to boot!

The recipe utilizes the same ingredients as the rice cooker version. Here, I used a nonstick standard pot. Instructions are below. Feel free to share your results and happy cooking!

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Persian Cucumber Salad with Red Onion & Thai Basil

Persian Cucumber Salad with Red Onion & Thai Basil

This salad is light n’ lovely. It’s aromatic and refreshing. It’s also a great choice when you need lots of flavor but don’t have a lot of time. I use Persian cucumbers because the fresh and fragrant taste is  an important part of the success of this dish. The basil’s slightly sweet, lemony and minty aroma delightfully compliments the green and fruity fragrance of the cucumber.

If you don’t have Thai basil, sweet basil works great too.

 

 

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Green Garden Herb Basmati Rice with Dill, Cilantro, Rosemary & Chive (and an unexpected trip home)

Green Garden Herb Basmati Rice with Dill, Cilantro, Rosemary & Chive (and an unexpected trip home)

Rice is the ultimate comfort food. It has been farmed by people for over 10,000 years.

In the Hindi language “Bas” means “aroma” and “Mati” means “full of.” Growing up in a Persian family, that beautifully fragrant and earthy aroma  is part of the essential scents of home. The cue of happiness and an eternal symbol of family dinners, celebrations and tradition.

Cooking traditional Persian rice (with crunchy tahdig of course) is truly an art form. For how to create a saffron scented masterpiece check out Persian Mama’s recipe here. For a simpler approach, I use a rice cooker. Not all rice cookers can deliver the crunchy golden goodness, however. Generally the Pars Brand rice cookers do the trick.

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In this rendition, I highlight garden herbs using dill, mint, chive and rosemary for an aromatic rice dish guaranteed to feed the soul (nousheh jan...). But really you can use any herbs that you like.

On a recent trip to Philadelphia, we ate at one of the best restaurants on the scene in recent years: Zahav. Here Chef Michael Solomonov beautifully highlights modern Israeli cuisine. I was inspired by his vision, the story behind his culinary ventures and the flavors of the wonderful meal we had that October eve in the city of brotherly love. The menu excited my senses and my palate was dancing, curiously processing the familiar and the new. A colorful melody of flavors, humble, deeply flavorful food that was simply delicious.

What resonated the most were the familiar flavors of  my childhood home found in smoky eggplant, coriander, warm bread, the grilled meats and tangy pomegranate. But most notably-  in the herbed basmati rice. The Al’Haesh dishes (grilled over coals) are served with a side of basmati rice that was not only delicious, but momentarily took me home. This humble side dish became the center of what all the other plates harmoniously danced around. This beautiful little pot of rice had the power to transform me to another place and time. To the familiar places where we feel safe, comforted and loved. To where I remember being happy. To the quiet corners of memory,  to our mother’s cooking and the taste of my grandmother’s love in an old kitchen in Isfahan. Maya Angelou  says “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” I found myself at home in this beautiful experience, and I hope you do too by trying my basmati rice recipe.

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Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 cups fresh chives, roughly chopped
Handful fresh mint, roughly chopped
Handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
1-2  tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 2 teaspoons finely ground sea salt)

Directions:
Soak rice in cold water for 20-30 minutes.

Rinse rice with water, gently agitating with fingertips. Do this multiple times (3-4) until water runs clear.

Place rice in rice cooker.

Add enough water to cover 1″ above rice (about 2.5 cups).

Add olive oil, onion, all herbs, salt + pepper.

Mix ingredients and turn on rice cooker. Continue to mix ingredients couple of more times in the first 3-4 minutes if cooking so all ingredients are evenly spread throughout.

Let rice cooker do its magic!

Cook rice for approximately 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until the indicator lets you know the cooking is completed. Timing can vary depending on the size and model.

That’s it! In about an hour you’ll have golden curst!

Once cooking is finished, unplug rice cooker.

Wearing oven mitts, place a platter larger than the rice cooker bowl over the bowl insert.

Lift bowl out and quickly and confidently flip the bowl and platter together.

Lift off the bowl slowly to reveal the Tahdig on top.
(Valiantly demonstrated by my cousin Payam, here).

Serve immediately: Tahdig loses crunch if it sits too long.

If you don’t have a rice cooker, see here for instructions on how to cook in a regular pot.

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Musical Inspiration:

The Idan Raichel Project

http://idanraichelproject.com/en/

Rosemary Skewered Chicken

Rosemary Skewered Chicken

This recipe is simply delicious, healthy and fun to make!

The rosemary stems replace regular skewers for a beautiful presentation while adding another layer of flavor. Just add chicken and veggies to the skewers, bake and voila! A healthy meal awaits.

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Remembering Rosemary

Remembering Rosemary

Ahhh Rosemary… One of my favorite herbs. “Rosemary” is derived from Latin words “ros” and “marinus”, which mean “dew of the sea” or “mist of the sea”. It refers to the coastal region that is occupied by this plant in it’s wild form.  As the days get shorter and the warm temperatures dwindle in early fall, the Rosemary in the garden is still going strong and one of the last herbs to continue giving to my garden. My inner poet can’t help but consider it the most royal of the garden, growing and giving until the very end. Perhaps this is why Rosemary is a symbol of loyalty and love. In certain parts of the world, bride, groom and their guests wear branches of rosemary during wedding ceremonies. During the English Tudor era, Rosemary symbolized fidelity, and brides would give sprigs of Rosemary to bridegroom as a tradition.

The history of Rosemary is fascinating and for centuries it was used to enhance memory. Recent studies suggest rosemary may sharpen memory and brain function and suggest it’s use for Alzheimer’s patients. Shakespeare may have agreed. In “Hamlet,” Ophelia waxes poetic about rosemary as she descends into madness. There’s Rosemary, that’s for Remembrance. Pray you, love, remember.” It’s also believed ancient Greeks wore rosemary in their hair to fortify their memory. The association between rosemary and memory has persisted throughout history. Personally, I love the the poetic history of the mist of the sea.  Sir Thomas More wrote: “I lett it runne all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it, but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and therefore to friendship.”

For the last harvest of our historical herb, I wanted to celebrate this beautiful woodsy herb with the bittersweet nutty flavor and create a menu that highlights it’s fabulous fragrance!

Coming soon:

Rosemary skewered chicken

Green Garden Herb  basmati rice with mint, chive + Rosemary

Orange blossom Rosemary Gin Cocktail

Chopped kale salad with tomato, avocado, onion and lemon

Rosemary infused olive oil

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