Lamejun Filling and Za'atar Spice Mix

Za'atar: combine 2 tbsp cumin seeds with 1 tbsp each of: dried thyme, dried mint leaves, oregano, toasted sesame seeds and sumac. Grind well using a mortar and pestle.

Filling: Using a food processor with the grater and blade attached, process one small quartered red onion, 1/4 each of a sweet red and orange bell pepper, half a medium green zucchini, 6-8 small heirloom tomatoes (romas work really well here), half the orange segmented with most of the white pith removed.

Once the veggies are combined, remove the grater plate, add 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp garlic and the reserved 1 tbsp orange zest from step one, and process with the blade until the texture of the filling is consistent (no large pieces).

This step didn't take very long, so I made a batch of tahini and then a subsequent batch of babghanouj with my spare time, as the food processor was already out!

Take one cup of hulled sesame seeds, toast in a pan until evenly golden brown, and then blend in the food processor, gradually adding a neutral oil (I used vegetable oil but you could also use grapeseed or olive oil), until creamy and smooth. For babaghanouj, roast 4-5 small halved eggplant (or one very large) for one hour, coated in olive oil, at 400 F. Once roasted, scoop the eggplant out of the peels and add to food processor with (at least) 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp coarse sea salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Process well, scraping the sides of the processor bowl and adding more oil to reach desired consistency. Adjust salt, garlic and lemon to taste.

Makes four 8” Lamejun

Dough

2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of whole milk plus a bit extra in case the dough is dry

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp white sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp grated orange zest (one good-sized orange will yield 3 tbsp, keep the spare zest and remainder of the orange aside)

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook and mix on low for 5-6 minutes.

Rest for 2 hours while prepping the rest of the ingredients, or enjoying the wine.

Final Prep and Assembly

Prepare the lamejun by quartering the rested dough and rolling out a circle as thin as possible, to fit an 8” cast iron pan. One batch at a time, place the rolled out dough in the pan (there should be sides as though you're making a tart), and spread 1/4 of the vegetable filling evenly over the surface. Crumble feta, flaky sea salt and za'atar over the lamejun next. Either bake at 400F for 20 minutes, or place on the grill to bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling looks set.

Repeat for the other dough portions--these are designed to be personal servings but they'll be shareable if cut into wedges like a pizza.

Grill the chicken breast until the internal temperature reaches 160 F. I've chosen to do my recipe on my stovetop grill, mostly because I have a charcoal BBQ and the flavour would be a bit too intense for my pairing! Source some good meat (I got mine at our local butcher in Oliver, who uses hormone-free meat from farms that are near as possible), and even a simple chicken breast won't disappoint.

When the chicken is almost done, combine 2 tbsp of za'atar with 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice (from the reserved orange half) and 1 tbsp olive oil, then brush over the grilled chicken breast. Remove from the grill and allow it to rest.

Slice some seasonal heirloom tomatoes and the rested chicken breast, layering over the lamejun.

Then enjoy with the 2019 Mile's Edge White!

1 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked rice

3 cups water

1 1/2 tbsp salt

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 large onion, chopped (or dried flakes)

1/2 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

more Wheat Germ to coat

Combine lentils, rice, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, let stand 10 mins and then mash together with remaining liquid.

Place in a large bowl with bread crumbs, wheat germ, onion, celery seed, marjoram, thyme, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix well and shape into patties.

Coat with wheat germ and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides.

From the Harrowsmith Cookbook Vol. 1

Moss’ Notes:

“A bit of Worcestershire sauce and ketchup adds some nice flavour to the patties. As well, go nuts with fresh herbs, adding basil and finely diced rosemary as well.”

Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

6 to 8 ears of corn with husks removed

½ Cup mexican crema or sour cream (use vegan sour cream as an alternative too)

½ Cup mayonnaise (or vegan mayo)

½ Cup chopped cilantro

1 Clove garlic minced

¼ Tsp chipotle pepper to taste

2 Tsp grated lime zest from 1 lime

Juice from lime (2 TBSPs)

½ Cotija cheese or feta cheese (or use your favourite shredded or crumbled vegan cheese)

Lime Wedges as garnish

Grill corn for approximately 3 minutes (turn) until kernels are golden brown or slightly charred. Set aside on a plate. Mix crema, mayo, cilantro, garlic, chipotle, lime zest and juice together and stir. Using a brush or spoon coat the corn with the crema mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Add more chipotle powder if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

BBQ Pork Belly Tacos

1 lb skinless pork belly

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp bbq rub or a blend of paprika, cumin, thyme & sugar

A few grinds of pepper

Pat pork belly dry with paper towel and score the fat diagonally (not too deep to cut the meat).

Preheat BBQ to 450 degrees and roast for 30 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 275 and roast for 1 hour. Pork belly should be tender and crisp, not mushy.

Pan fry corn tortillas in a cast iron or non stick pan with a drizzle of olive or grape seed oil until lightly browned.

Garnish with Chimichurri, quick Pickled Red Onions, Cilantro

Chimichurri Sauce

½ Cup Cilantro

¼ Cup Parsley

¼ Cup Basil

⅓ Cup Olive Oil

½ tsp Chili Flakes

1 or 2 Garlic Cloves

1 Shallot

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

½ tsp Sea Salt

¼ tsp Sugar

2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar

Combine garlic, shallots, lemon and vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. This allows for flavours to fuse together. Add all ingredients to a food processor or use a hand blender and blend until a sauce forms. Leave it chunky or add more oil and or vinegar for a smoother sauce.

Pickled Red Onions

1 Large or 2 small red onions - peeled and thinly sliced

¾ Cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

¼ Cup water

1 Tsp salt

1 or 2 TBSPs sugar

Heat vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a pan or in a microwavable container. Place onions in a canning jar or jar of your choice. Add vinegar mixture over the onions. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or best overnight.

In our April 2021 CrossWord newsletter, Melissa details her recipe for a delicious Vietnamese chicken pizza. To save space, we put the Soy Chili Sauce and pizza prep into the newsletter and saved the pizza dough and Hoi An Chicken recipes to read below.

You can read the newsletter here

PIZZA DOUGH INGREDIENTS

300 g spelt flour

1 tbsp vital wheat gluten

1/2 tbsp active dry yeast

1/2 tbsp fine sea salt

PIZZA DOUGH DIRECTIONS

1. Combine 1 cup hot water (230 g) with 300 g spelt flour, 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten, 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast and 1/2 tbsp fine sea salt in a stand mixer with the dough hook and mix for 10 minutes, or knead until the dough forms a smooth ball. Lightly oil the dough ball and let it stand in the fridge overnight.

HOI AN CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken from a good source, about 3-4 lbs

1 white onion

4 green onions

1 tsp minced ginger or a 1”x1” piece of fresh ginger roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves

Whole black peppercorns

Whole star anise

HOIN AN CHICKEN DIRECTIONS

1. Take the whole chicken and put one quartered white onion, ginger, peeled and smashed garlic cloves, and green onions (cut in half) into the cavity. Cover with water in a stock pot, adding 6 black peppercorns and a few whole star anise to the liquid. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 45-50 minutes, skimming froth. Remove the chicken from the broth and use it to make some jasmine rice another day, or as a really good pho ga base.

Note: the classic Hoi An chicken recipe is to cover jasmine rice (cooked in the rich chicken stock) with fried shallots and fresh greens, including some chopped mint, and to dip the chiek in the soy-chilli sauce or drizzle over it. Super fresh and light, and makes a great lunch for a couple of days, make the rice fresh to serve.

2. Shred some of the cooked chicken in a bowl (mix white and dark meat for best results) and set aside (about 2 cups).

Prep: fine dice shallot, harvest green coriander seed, collect and wash/trim green beans, shell some fresh peas. Rinse halibut under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Dice bacon and keep in a dish set aside. Measure out 1 oz each of unsalted butter and fresh lemon juice.

Start the grill: once coals are beginning to take, set a small cast iron pan onto the grill with the chopped bacon, cooking till it's crispy and the coals are visibly flaming. Set cooked bacon aside in a bowl. Return the pan to the grill.

Add about 1 oz unsalted butter to the cast iron and throw the shallots in once it's started to melt. Move the pan to the cooler outside edge of the grill, oil the section directly over the flaming coals with a bbq brush.

Set the halibut over the hot coals, skin side up. 

Once shallots are softened, add the green beans to the cast iron pan.

Once the halibut has released from the grill on the "fresh" side, carefully flip over to the skin side. If it doesn't freely move, wait until it can move without tearing the fish. (Or use a fish spatula. I don't have one so I just used tongs)

Add lemon juice and green coriander seeds to the pan and stir. Remove from the grill, setting aside to cover and finish steaming the beans through. The cast will stay hot for a while, as the fish is finished.

Remove the halibut from the grill once the sides no longer show any translucence, it will continue to cook into the centre as it rests.

Plate: Trim some beet greens and scatter over the plate with the fresh peas (don't do this too early or the greens will wilt too much). Rest the halibut and green beans side by side over top, then scatter the crispy bacon over the whole dish. Dress all with the pan sauce, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Prep: Wash, halve and blanch 4 medium red potatoes. Blanch 4-5 whole apricots and let cool. Husk corn, rinse and divide into 2" segments. Rinse duck breast with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Mix together 2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice, 3 tbsp peanut oil, 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar, two finely minced cloves of garlic, 1/2 tbsp lime zest, 1 tsp sambal oelek and the following to taste: dried ground guajillo chile, more sambal if you like, and salt and pepper. Harvest some fresh thyme. Once they're cooled, pull the skin off the apricots and remove the pits, and set the flesh aside in a bowl.

Heat the grill, brush oil onto the rack. While the coals ignite, add 1-2 tbsp butter and a minced shallot to a small cast iron pan over the hottest spot. Once the shallots have softened, move the pan to the side, add the apricots, 1/2 oz lemon juice and a splash of white wine, stir well.

Place the potatoes cut-side-down over the hot coals. Turn once, then move to the cooler edges, baste with the chili lime sauce. Add the corn segments over the hot spot, basting generously with the chili lime sauce and turning frequently until evenly grilled and coated. Move to the cooler sides to keep warm. Keep stirring the apricot sauce, if it gets too thick, add a little more white wine. Optional: add a splash of balsamic vinegar and mix well.

Place duck breasts skin side down on the grill. They will cause the coals to flame up as the fat liquefies, turn them over quickly once seared. Cook for about 6-7 min, then let them rest covered on a cutting board.

Plate: arrange a few pieces of corn and potatoes on each plate, then thinly slice the duck breast, arranging beside the corn and potatoes. Cover the duck with the apricot sauce and some thyme leaves plucked from the stem.

Original recipe by Jamie Oliver

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