Mediterranean Dolma

This post is also available in: French
Mediterranean dolma was always on the list of foods special to me, there is something fascinating in the taste and the appearance of the grape leaves. When I tried this raw, rice-less version for the first time, it struck me as possibly the tastiest raw dish I've had so far. The combination of flavours and textures is flawless. And the sauce - cilantro, lemon, tahini - it's hard not to lick the plate.

The original version of this dolma calls for Jerusalem artichoke, or sunchoke, which is an amazingly versatile root vegetable. I've been using Jerusalem artichoke syrup as an alternative sweetener for a while now, and would definitely recommend it.
The actual root is not as easy to find (at least here in Florida) and the season is long gone. But after once tasting this dolma with sunchoke, I couldn't wait for its new season to come, and decided to substitute it with jicama. I made some minor adjustments to the recipe and was very happy when it turned out well.

I always get excited when I find successful raw recipes that are also simple and don't call for the opening of young coconuts, dehydration, nuts, or long hours of waiting. This dish is just that - easy, fresh, and fragrant.
P.S. We are so happy to finally have a blog banner. It's by the talented Coco of Lark Creatif and Roost.


Mediterranean Dolma
(Adapted from Living Raw Food)
For a 1 quart jar of marinated grape leaves, the amount of individual leaves can vary depending on their size
Filling
1 1/2 cups Jicama OR Jerusalem artichoke - peeled, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating the dolma
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes - soaked for 2 hours and chopped finely
1 cup peeled and seeded cucumber - small cubes
1/2 clove garlic - minced
1 shallot - minced
5 olives of your favourite kind (I used Black Cerignola) - pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon, or more to taste dill - chopped
about 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves - finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse the sunchokes or jicama to achieve the texture of large rice grains. If using jicama, transfer it onto several layers of paper towels and pat to remove as much excess liquid as you can. You might need to do this several times. There's no need to pat dry if you are using sunchokes. Transfer the jicama/sunchoke to a bowl and pour the lemon juice over, mixing with a wooden spoon to preserve the color. Then mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and gently stir in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Place the filling into a fine strainer and let drain for around 15 minutes.
Rinse the grape leaves and pat dry. Put around 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling into the center of each leaf and fold. The stem end gets folded up first, followed by the sides, after which you are ready to roll tightly.
Coat the rolled dolmas with some olive oil and enjoy with green tahini sauce.

Green Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup raw sesame tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup cilantro - loosely packed
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup purified water

In a high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth.

Cool Off with Lychee Sorbet and Marinated Rhubarb Compote

Summer in Florida is challenging. It is hot. Your only chance of catching some decent breeze is at the beach. Local produce is scarce - only tropical things like growing in this heat.
But there is some magic to a Florida summer. For one, we have lychee season in June. It's difficult to describe the taste of lychee fruit. They are sweet and juicy, and taste like the work of a very hot sun. Once peeled of their spiky skin, they look like little jelly fish with a smooth pit in the middle. It's a short season, a couple of weeks maybe. During the time, the tree owners are usually up against an eager army of squirrels. The height of the trees and their light branches don't help the harvesting either.

When my friend Cathy offered me some of the lychees that her husband Johnny heroically picked from their tree, I was very grateful and right out the door to get them. Cathy is the friend who always knows all the when, where, and how, and one we can always count on in case of any emergency.
Thank you.

We ate about half of the lychees as they were, getting ourselves and the kitchen sticky with the juice. The rest went into a sorbet with a bit of basil and lime juice.
I had a great dessert of lychee sorbet and rhubarb compote at Tokyo Eat, the restaurant at Tokyo Palace in Paris. It was a delicious dish, the inspiring kind that I filed in the back of my mind.

I did not grow up with rhubarb, and never tried it until recently. Seeing it all over the food blogs in the spring and early summer, I was very curious to cook with it.
I found an intriguing recipe for raw marinated rhubarb about a year ago but could never track down the main ingredient at any local markets or Whole Foods, no matter how much I tried.
But then, the other day, I walked into a produce section and there it was, rhubarb, all red and ready to become a dish. The timing was perfect.

The 90+ (32 C) degree weather leaves us wanting things iced, light, and fruity. This dessert is all of the above.
The rhubarb marinates in a mixture of thick honey, Grand Marnier, and rosemary for at least a day and night. During the process, each time you open up the container to stir, you'll see and smell the rhubarb transforming, becoming more fragrant and full of flavour. It retains its tartness, but balances with the sweetness of the honey and liqueur, all the while absorbing the rosemary's aroma.
Whether eaten separately, or (even better) together, these two are the ultimate way to fight the heat.


Lychee Sorbet
4 generous cups of peeled and pitted fresh lychees (you can use canned, but adjust the sweetness)
1 cup purified water
juice and zest of 1 large lime
2/3 cup light agave syrup OR other preferred sweetener
2-4 packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish

Puree the lychees in a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth. You might need to blend in 2 batches. Chill well in the refrigerator, and process in your ice-cream maker for 20-25 minutes. Optionally, add more basil pieces at the last 5 minutes of the freezing process. Freeze for at least 2-3 hours before serving.

Raw Rhubarb Compote
(Adapted from here)
1 lb fresh rhubarb - sliced very thinly
1/3 cup raw honey
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cranberries
8-10 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Mix the sliced rhubarb thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients and marinate for at least 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove rosemary from compote before serving.

Travel Notes: Paris

Here are some snaps from Paris. These are just snippets, some tiny details I managed to catch on camera. The whole experience was so much larger and grander, like the city itself. I've never seen so much beauty condensed in ten days.

Beautiful spices at the open air market in Montmartre.

Fauchon cakes on display, I raved about them here.

Lunch at the fresh market in the south Latin Quarter, Rue Mouffetard, my favourite area.

Figs from the same market.

Rouge berry sorbet at Georges Restaurant on the roof top of the Centre Pompidou. The most captivating overlook of the city.

Fruit tart from my favourite bakery in Marais on Rue Verrerie. From there, if you cross Rue de Rivoli and walk towards the Seine, you will find the most beautiful picnic spots with delightful views of the islands.

We went a bit wild at Fauchon, took it all to go and had an unforgettable picnic at Jardin des Tuileries.

Red currants from still the same market in the Latin Quarter. We never get currants in Florida, and it's one of my favourite berries, so this was exciting.

Vegetable Napoleon from Fauchon.

Some things learned in Paris:

♥ Don't stress about maintaining your usual eating habits, for you are in one of the food capitals of the world. Even the most guilt-ful food in Paris is so unbelievably fresh, that it's almost good for you.

♥ Refer to David Lebovitz and other insiders to find unique spots in Paris. Tourist books are only good for certain things.

♥ Even if your French is atrocious, don't be afraid to learn and use as much of it as you can, it will earn you many smiles and much kindness.

♥ You never know when Eric Kayser will run out of passion fruit eclairs, so plan accordingly.

♥ Don't underestimate the flavour of mogador macarons at Pierre Hermé. Stock up - you will not find ones that equal them in taste, nor will you ever be too full for one more.

♥ Mandatory with a fresh croissant at Angelina is their hot chocolate, which tastes like actual chocolate, melted into your cup.

♥ Markets, markets, markets. Freshest, cheapest, tastiest.

♥ Don't be frustrated with the métro and their ticketing system. Use your sense of humor. Even if you are locked inside a station with no one around, you will always get to where you are going. Eventually.

60s Tea Time Pudding Cake

Hello there, I'm fresh off the plane from Europe, London-Cologne-Paris-London. Home just in time for my friend N.'s 60s themed birthday tea party.

You may remember N.'s son's birthday that we posted about a while back. N. throws the most beautifully thought-out parties, where every detail is pitch perfect and fun. It goes without saying that I'm always excited when she asks me to make the dessert.

Tired because of jet lag and the overwhelming amount of memories I carried away from Europe, I wanted to make a cake that is unfussy in preparation, but still elegant and tasty.

My choice fell on pudding cake, a simple dessert perfect for afternoon tea.

N., an interior design ace, often starts with a colour story and builds a whole world around it. This time it was green, white, and black.

For the cake, I went with green and white stripes. The pudding is initially off-white, its main base being macadamia nuts, coconut milk, and banana. And what better way to achieve the green colour than by adding matcha (green tea) powder? Quite appropriate for a tea party.

The dome shape and minimal decoration was inspired by Fauchon cakes that I saw in Paris. Fauchon is a sort of luxury food supermarket, where much emphasis is put on packaging and design. They carry both sweets and savouries, and their patisserie is mind-blowing and very innovative. In addition, the food is delicious.

Fauchon's cakes are unlike anything I've seen before. The shapes are often extremely simple - domes or very flat rectangles. The decorations seem to be placed instinctively, with a sort of raw confidence that I wish I had more of when it comes to decorating and plating food. One side of a Fauchon cake may be completely covered with edible gold leaf, while the other one remains bare. There is no visible strategy, an effortless feeling that makes for some of the most elegant desserts I've ever seen.

I worked with a dome shape, a thin pistachio crust, and very minimal decoration with strawberries, letting the striped cake speak for itself.

I really enjoyed the party theme, 60s. I'm almost embarrassed to admit what a huge Mad Men fan I am. Any excuse to put a Bardot tease in my hair and paint my eyes like Twiggy seems like a good one.

There were beautiful vintage gloves, clip ons, sweetheart necklines, and bright lipstick. A girls' paradise - it's a good thing it was girls only this time.

The pudding cake is light, nutritious, with subtle hints of matcha, ideal for green-tea ice cream lovers. Alternatively, the pudding can be easily eaten for breakfast.

The birthday girl was happy with the cake, and the guests seemed to enjoy it as well. All good fun, the best possible way to fight jet lag.

Striped Tea Time Pudding Cake

(adapted from Living Raw Food)

This amount is for a dome mold 8 1/2" in diameter and about 5" deep (we used a regular mixing bowl)

Pudding

4 1/2 cups macadamia nuts - preferably soaked and dehydrated

4 1/2 tablespoons coconut butter

6 grams or about 3/4 cup Irish moss - soaked in hot water for 10 or more minutes and drained

3/4 cup raw agave syrup or more if you like sweeter

1 1/4 cup sliced banana

2 1/4 cups coconut milk - see panna cotta recipe

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 vanilla bean - seeds

matcha powder - to taste

Crust

about 1 1/2 cup raw pistachios

1/2 cup dried coconut flakes - untoasted

1 teaspoon matcha powder - optional

2 tablespoons raw agave syrup or more until sticky

In a food processor, blend the macadamia nuts and coconut butter until smooth.

Place the macadamia mixture into a high-speed blender and combine with the rest of the ingredients, except the matcha powder.

Divide the mixture in half. Leave one half white. Add matcha to the other half and combine in a blender to achieve the desired colour and taste. Take care to add the matcha in small portions, as it's very strong in colouring and taste. A little matcha goes a long way.

For the crust, combine all the ingredients in a food processor.

Pour the two mixtures into your mold, alternating between green and white to achieve the stripes. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

If you are using the type of cake mold, which you'll have to flip (like we did here), distribute the crust onto the bottom after refrigeration and before flipping. If you are using a springform pan, which requires no flipping, form the crust first, pour the mixture over it, and then refrigerate. When set, the pudding should slide right out of the form. Optionally, garnish with fresh berries and ground pistachios.