001-023_Tel Aviv _ 1 Introduction_FINAL.indd 2001-023_Tel Aviv _ 1 Introduction_FINAL.indd 212/05/2023 14:3512/05/2023 14:35L IMOR CHEN A journey of flavours and aromas from a sun-soaked city My Tel Aviv Table 001-023_Tel Aviv _ 1 Introduction_FINAL.indd 3001-023_Tel Aviv _ 1 Introduction_FINAL.indd 312/05/2023 14:3512/05/2023 14:35056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 74056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 7412/05/2023 13:5312/05/2023 13:5376 / My Tel Aviv Table SERVES: 2–4 200g/7oz baby spinach, washed and dried 300g/10½oz/2½ cups frozen petit pois 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp lemon juice Pinch of salt 100g/3½oz barrel-aged feta cheese (or any feta cheese) 1 tsp sumac See page 74 Peas, Feta & Spinach Salad Who said you needed lots of ingredients to make a flavoursome dish? Sometimes just three will do! I first tried this at my sister Hillit’s home. You not only get tons of flavour from the ingredients and the seasoning, but also very complementary textures. It has since become my daughter’s favourite; if there’s no spinach, she will just make it with feta cheese and peas in a bowl. Simple and tasty! Put the spinach leaves in a large bowl. Bring a medium-size saucepan of water to the boil over a medium heat and add the peas. Bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1½–2 minutes, depending on their size. Drain the peas and set aside for 5–10 minutes to steam-dry and cool down. Add the peas to the spinach. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice and season with the salt. Toss together so the spinach and peas are covered with the oil and lemon dressing. At this point, I suggest letting the salad stand with the dressing. I know it sounds a bit strange, but I prefer to leave it for about 30–40 minutes so the spinach absorbs the flavour from the dressing. The spinach leaves may look a little less pretty, but the flavour is more enhanced. Crumble the feta cheese by hand and sprinkle on top along with sumac. 056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 76056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 7612/05/2023 13:5312/05/2023 13:5392 / My Tel Aviv Table SERVES: 4 ½ red cabbage, thinly sliced 1 large red onion, sliced into thin strips ¼ tsp salt Pinch of coarse ground black pepper 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted Pinch of sumac For the yogurt 7 tbsp (200g/7oz/¾ cup) plain yogurt 1 tsp lemon juice ¼ tsp lemon zest 1 tsp za’atar 1 tsp sumac Crispy Cabbage & Onions with Toasted Pine Nuts & Za’atar & Sumac Yogurt I’ve always felt that cabbage is an underappreciated vegetable. Aside from being full of nutrients, it absorbs flavours well and is super versatile. In this recipe, it becomes crispy when roasted together with the onions, which makes a delicious contrast to the lemony spiced yogurt. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2. Put the cabbage and onion in a large bowl. Add the salt, black pepper and olive oil and mix well, massaging the oil into the vegetables. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Spread the cabbage and onion mixture out evenly, then cook in the oven for 1 hour. Mix every 20 minutes. It’s important to do this to avoid some parts burning and others not getting crispy enough. Mix the yogurt with the lemon juice and zest, za’atar and sumac. Spread out the yogurt on a large plate and place the crispy vegetables on top in a nice pile in the middle, then sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and an extra pinch of sumac. 056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 92056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 9212/05/2023 13:5512/05/2023 13:55056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 93056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 9312/05/2023 13:5512/05/2023 13:55106 / My Tel Aviv Table SERVES: 4–6 2 courgettes/zucchini, peeled and coarsely grated 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated 1 tsp salt 2 eggs Zest of ½ lemon (optional) 3 tbsp gluten-free plain/ all-purpose flour (or any flour of your choice) 100g/3½oz feta cheese, crumbled 50ml/2fl oz/¼ cup rapeseed/ canola oil or any vegetable oil you prefer For the dip 100g/3½oz/generous ½ cup plain yogurt Leaves from 2 mint sprigs, washed and finely chopped Courgette, Carrot & Feta Fritters Fritters remind me of Hanukkah, a festival that is usually celebrated around the same time as Christmas. Traditionally, people will light candles for eight days and eat donuts as well as latkes, which are basically potato fritters. I always preferred the savoury fritters to the sweet donuts, especially my mum’s fritters, as she added sweet potatoes to the mix, giving them a unique, delicate flavour. Inspired by her recipe, I find that these courgette/ zucchini, carrot and feta fritters are always a crowd-pleaser and feel even more special when paired with the yogurt and mint dip. One tip when cooking: be careful not to burn the outside of the fritters before they are fully cooked inside. This means making sure the oil is hot enough so that they sizzle when placed in the pan, but not so hot that they reach smoking point (at this point, you shouldn’t use the oil any more). I find rapeseed/canola oil works best. Place the grated vegetables in a sieve/fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and mix with the salt. Leave for 10–15 minutes. Squeeze out and discard the excess liquid. In a large bowl, mix the grated vegetables with the eggs and lemon zest, if using. Add the flour and feta cheese and mix well. Put a large frying pan on a medium heat, pour in about a third of the oil and heat. Carefully add a tablespoon of the vegetable batter, sliding it into the hot oil; it should sizzle when it hits the oil. Flatten it out slightly. Add a few more to fill the pan. When each becomes golden brown underneath, flip it over. Prepare a large plate with paper towels next to the pan. When both sides of the fritters are lovely and golden, take them out and place on the lined plate to allow the excess oil to be absorbed. Continue in the same way, adding oil to the pan and working your way through the batter. To make the dip, spoon the yogurt into a bowl. Add the mint and mix well. 056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 106056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 10612/05/2023 13:5612/05/2023 13:56056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 107056-107_Tel Aviv _ 3 Vegetables & salads_FINAL.indd 10712/05/2023 13:5612/05/2023 13:56Next >