The Garden – Page 2 – Basil & Roses

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

October 31, 2016 nmalekan@gmail.com Comments 2 comments

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.

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.

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.

Musical Inspiration:

The Idan Raichel Project

http://idanraichelproject.com/en/

Rosemary Skewered Chicken

October 21, 2016 nmalekan@gmail.com Comments 0 Comment

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.

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
8 fresh Rosemary stems
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 medium red onion
Salt + Pepper

Directions:
Pull off 2/3 pull most of the Rosemary leaves from the stem.
Reserve 1-2 inches of leaves at the tip of each stem. These are your gorgeous skewers.
Cut chicken into 2 inch cubes
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, chopped rosemary, chopped garlic, salt, peter to create marinate and pour over chicken.
Marinate for 1-2 hours or ideally overnight.
Skewer the chicken chunks onto rosemary skewers, alternating with grape tomato and red onion.
The rosemary stalk will easily pierce into the chicken and vegetables.
Place on greased baking sheet and bake in oven for approximately 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remembering Rosemary

October 19, 2016 nmalekan@gmail.com Comments 0 Comment

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

My Little Scarborough Fair

September 28, 2016 nmalekan@gmail.com Comments 0 Comment

Many of the dishes and cocktails of the summer are inspired by what’s in bloom in my herb garden. Once upon a time my Father built a beautiful bed with nutrient rich soil to plant herbs + veggies in. I’ve continued that tradition and every spring I plant the staples; parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme… and mint and cilantro and chives and sweet basil. These aromatic but humble herbs elevate pretty much every breakfast, lunch and dinner compilation.

They’re easy to grow. I buy the spriglings in Home Depot and just add water and sunlight. There is something very satisfying in always having these items available to enhance the flavors of any meal. If you don’t have a garden, you can use planters and any window with sunlight will do!

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;

Remember me to the one who lives there,

For once she was a true love of mine

Garden Goddess Cocktail

September 27, 2016 nmalekan@gmail.com Comments 0 Comment

Fresh herbs from my garden often inspire tasty dishes that also look beautiful and this light and lovely cocktail is no exception. It’s light and you can adjust the alcohol to your preference. It also makes a nice non-alcoholic beverage.

Ingredients:
Gin
St. Germain Elderflower Liqour
Unsweetened iced tea
Lemon juice
Thyme
Mint

Directions:
In a cocktail shaker add:
1 part gin to 1 part elderflower liqour
3 parts iced tea
1 part gin
A spring of thyme (slap the time in your palm to release the natural oils).
6-8 mint leaves
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Shake well with ice and pour in glass
Garnish with more fresh thyme.

Enjoy!

Rosemary/Thyme Grilled Chicken with Walnut Dijon Kale Salad

September 23, 2016 Naz Comments 0 Comment

This recipe is simple and satisfying and an perfect for a casual dinner with friends or family or just your fabulous self. I often make this for family gatherings on weekend afternoons. The ease in effort allows me to spend more time with my loved but still host a wonderful meal. In the summer I love using fresh herbs from my garden for the marinade and dressing and grill the chicken outside in the backyard. Of course that is not a requirement, the recipe also works well with an indoor stove top grill.

Ingredients:
1 pound kale
4 chicken breast
3 tablespoons chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons thyme (1 for chicken, 1 for dressing
3/4 cup olive oil (split for chicken and dressing)
2 lemons (split for chicken and dressing)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
salt + pepper

Directions:
Marinate chicken breasts in lemon juice, “good” olive oil (my inner Barefoot Contessa couldn’t help herself), rosemary, thyme, salt + pepper for 1 hour.
Wash Kale thoroughly. Drain and pat dry. Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
Using your loving hands, message the olive oil into the Kale.
Yes, start messaging…
It may seem strange but a 5 minute spa treatment can do wonders for this nutritious green.
You’ll be amazed to see how the gentle rubdown will transform the kale from a tough and bitter leaf to sweet silky sensation.
If you practiced your mindfulness for the day, you’ll notice a change in darkening of color and texture as you message your soon to be delicious salad.
Maybe someone else has melted and turned sweet into your hands before, but if not Kale will not disappoint. Anywho, this is how you make eating raw Kale a more pleasant experience. Don’t forget to remove the tough stems and only message the leafy part.

In a bowl whisk together half of the olive oil, Dijon mustard, juice of 1 lemon, salt + pepper and thyme.
This simply elegant dressing will compliment the chicken well.
Drizzle the oil into the rest of the ingredients as you whisk.
Don’t add all of it at once.
Stop periodically and taste the dressing; you may not need all the oil.

Add the walnuts to your salad and voila! This elegant and delicious salad is done!

Grill chicken breasts on a stove top grill or outdoor grill and serve right on top of the salad.
Make sure chicken is cooked through and not pink in the center.

The thyme in the dressing compliments the herbed chicken, the nutty walnut adds a nice textural complexity to the otherwise softer textures and the fragrant herbs add a beautiful and satisfying finish to every bite. Your palette and friends will be impressed!

A quick note on homemade vinaigrettes:

Once you know the ratio of acid to oil, you don’t need a recipe. The traditional formula is 1 part acid to 3 parts oil, but this varies depending on the acid used and your personal taste. Many people prefer a 1 to 2 ratio of acid to oil. So experiment and see what you like!

Vinegar range in acidity from about 4 to 7 percent. The higher the acidity, the sharper the pucker power, and the more oil you’ll need to balance it. For example, Rice vinegar is less acidic so it needs less oil than others.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice is often used in place of vinegar, but it’s slightly more acidic than some vinegars, so it may require a bit more oil. Over time, fresh lemon juice loses some of its punch, so it’s best to make a small batch and use it up quickly. Many vinaigrettes include a combination of vinegar and lemon juice.