Middle Eastern

You need young fava beans, not tough old ones. Some supermarkets sell them shelled in the season. Good-quality frozen ones are also fine to use. An Iranian grocer near where I live sells frozen skinned ones from Iran which are exceptional. The dish can be served hot or cold. The yogurt can be poured over the rice or served in a separate bowl.

This famous Turkish salad makes a light snack meal.

The celeriac acquires a special delicate flavor and a pale-yellow tinge.

In Turkey all kinds of vegetables, including cauliflower and green beans, are dressed with a nut sauce called tarator. Here celeriac and carrots make a good combination of flavor and color, and yogurt is a refreshing addition to the sauce.

This Lenten specialty of the Orthodox Christian communities of Syria and Lebanon can be served hot or cold. Accompany with yogurt.

I was given this recipe by a lovely Cypriot. I had never come across it before. It can be made with all kinds of mushrooms. I used shiitake with a Cabernet Sauvignon and found them delicious except that the stalks remained chewy, so cut those off if you use them.

Serve this in a bowl with plain boiled or steamed vegetables such as runner beans, zucchini, or cauliflower.

This is a Turkish way of dressing beets.

Leeks are especially popular in Egypt.

Mushrooms are not common in the Middle East but you do find them—in Cyprus, for instance.

Okra is one of the most popular vegetables in the Arab world.

For this Arab and Turkish way of serving zucchini, the vegetables may be deep-fried, grilled, or broiled.

Yogurt often accompanies these Turkish fritters.

If you want to use fresh baby artichokes, see instructions for preparing the hearts on page 282.

They call it meshweya, which means “roasted,” because the vegetables are roasted—usually over a fire. There are many versions. This one can be a meal in itself.

The combination of raisins and pine nuts was brought by the Arabs all the way to Spain and Sicily.