The Zucchini and the Great Unknown Marrow Soup

'Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, 

Not Hindu,Buddhist, Sufi or Zen, 

Not Any religion.

Or cultural System. I am not

From the East or the West, 

Not out of the Ocean or up from the Ground...

I belong to the Beloved'

Rumi

You see, most people can just walk into Tesco, or shop online (mine used to be Abel and Cole) at the large variety of different vegetables available, choose carefully which ones they want or like, remember those recommendations from friends. Even Tesco express would do. It doesn't have to be large. A corner shop even? They would almost always have some form of fresh ginger or seasonal vegetable that you can choose. 

I guess the interesting thing about living in a village, rather than London. And in the middle of the Mediterranean instead of the British Isles, (where I live is considered occupied territory, only recognised officially by two countries (one is Pakistan, and the other holds an almost identical flag) thus resulting in branded products not being sold here... or anything of any real quality) is that somehow I manage to get a large proportion (considering) of my fruit and veg from the street. I don't mean a bustling market with delicious smells and you get the picture.... I mean, lying on the road, fallen off a truck. 

I have to say I find this delightful - some of my most delicious recipes (See Plum Compote) have resulted from this. Others a stroke of luck (yesterday I got 10 apples this way, oh, and a lemon also...)...I will be baking more Apple Cake (or crumble) very soon! 

Obviously, there are other ways that vegetables make their way into my fridge.. This is mainly through some form of donation from the wonderful neighbours I have. And yes, I do talk to them! and know their names... well the English Speaking ones anyway :/ Huge bags of vegetables waiting for me. Some might be a little squashed. Some perfect. Some needed some immediate de-insecting, and some I find a little hard to cook. Namely what the British neighbours I have been spending time with, have referred to as 'the non- specific marrow' and what is known to me as the great unknown.... (Its accompanied with a form of screwed up face indicating that they also have come to the same dilemma as me and have no clue how to make this vegetable tasty or delicious, therefore just resulting in a waste of time)... however, we cant waste!

Unfortunately, Non-specific Marrow does not sound exciting at all! (now rebranded the Great Unknown for my own sake) I was much more pleased when another neighbour called it a squash, only to open it up and find the seeds were part of the vegetable (Like zucchini). Anyway... My most major disappointment was the fact that neither Jamie Oliver (at some point I will just call him Jamie, this second name thing is a little ridiculous ;p) neither BBC Good Food (who apparently as of yesterday consider this side of occupied territory 'the Middle East' and wont let me into the UK site thus barring from all of those recipes!), nor Sheikh Google could provide me with a recipe that had 5 stars and the work 'MARROW' next to it. Just doesn't work. 

Anyway, my search continued and I found this recipe (yes, I know the photos on the website are really bad!). I decided to completely ignore the use of Squash, and replace it with the Great Unknown Marrow... and here's the wonderful thing. It tasted so good, I had to call my dervish of a husband and let him know how delicious it was... (it doesn't happen often!). I have decided it is much like the story of the milk and the yogurt... all they have to do is sit in a pot together and somehow magic happens!

 To be honest I was a little bowled over by how easy, quick and delicious this soup is. A Definite Five Stars. No doubt. You have to try it! 

Yum All the way!

Housewife Tips!

- I thought 3 cups of cream was RIDICULOUS... the aim of eating vegetables is not to gain weight.. its to have something delicious. So I have reduced this to 1 1/2 cups of milk fresh from the cows (that's where I get my other stuff from ;)

- Of course, I am sure that squash would be completely delicious in this recipe (so go ahead), and I can only say how jealous I am (anyone that has access to online shopping, corner shops and squash). However, Non-Specific Marrow now has a purpose, and a delicious soup to go with it! 

- I dont know the difference between shallots and onions, so I combined them..

- I decided to cut the zucchini and non-specific marrow into 1-2cm squares rather than rounds.. rounds just looked a bit tacky for me. This also increases the cup sizes (how do you fit a cube in a cup?) So... instead of 1 1/2 cups, I used 2.

- Roasting these vegetables first is an amazing way of increasing the flavour (I roasted them for 30 minutes, already cubed with whole garlic)

- Serve with homemade yogurt, lebne, or parmesan cheese and some delicious warm bread <3

The Zucchini and the Great Unknown Marrow Soup

Ingredients 

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 medium zucchini, cubed about 2 cups
1 non-specific marrow about 2 cups (or squash)
3 cups rich chicken broth (preferably homemade)
1 1/2 cups full fat fresh milk
2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano (I used dry)
salt & freshly ground black pepper

If roasting: Extra Olive oil

Directions:

If roasting start here:

1. Preheat the Oven to gas mark 7
2. Cut Onion, Marrow and Zucchini into 2cm cubed pieces, place in a baking tray with whole pieces of garlic (still with the skin on) and drizzle 3-4 tbsp olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3.  Cover with tin foil.  
4. Place vegetables in preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes
5. When finished put the baking tray to one side and use the roast vegetables as they appear in the following directions.

From oven roasted (or raw) to soup-tastic:

1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add onion and sliced garlic and cook until onion is translucent,stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes if not roasted.
3. Add flour and stir 3 minutes
4. Add zucchini and non-specific Marrow and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in stock, milk, basil and oregano.
6. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes (this will only need 5 or 10 minutes if the vegetables were already roasted).
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
8. Devour!

Serve it with 

Love!

The Chickpea and the Cook

'A Chickpea leaps almost over the rim of the pot where it's being boiled.''Why are you doing this to me?''

The cook knocks him down with the ladle.''Dont you try to jump out.You think I'm torturing you.I'm giving you flavour''

Rumi

Everyone knows there are a thousand ways to make hummus... liquid, stiff, garlicy, lemony, Tescos released their sweet chilli's all over the hummus rack (I confess, I love it), some even make avocado hummus (I'm sorry, I find it repulsive). There are even a thousand ways to spell hummus... so trying to find the 'Perfect houmous/ hummus/hummous/hommos ... recipe' is quite a challenge! Especially considering everyone thinks their's is the best... But I have found it. The best. Ever. Oven Baked Hummus... 

Are you Ready? 

Unbaked Hummus

You see, I guess it's through getting to know chickpeas that I am learning to respect the age old way of doing things. Fast living tins of Chickpea's don't exist here in the wilderness... you can only find the dried out ones... I could feel a fire inside me wanting to make the quickest most delicious chickpea hummus the world has ever known, and could remember Jamie Oliver's recipe with yoghurt.. yes yoghurt... and how everyone was puzzled and amazed when I told them that secret ingredient..

For some reason, I haven't been able to find that recipe online anywhere... (I just checked again.. and it is nowhere!) I remember something along the lines of 1 tin of chickpeas, 1 tbsp Tahini, 3 tbsp Greek Yoghurt, Salt, Lemon and Garlic to taste. All very easy, and as it turns out my secret ingredient, is now no longer secret... There are whole articles comparing the goodness of yoghurt or no yoghurt in hummus. So I won't add anything further, other than mine is the best because, I made Homemade Greek Yoghurt and then added it! Yum...

Anyway, first time round.. I was still in city mode... lets get this done as quickly as possible... (pressure cooker, baking soda, more pressure cooker) as it turns out... the faster you try to cook chickpeas.. the worse it is for your digestion.. and actually, despite all of the tricks.. it makes no sense to make a quick hummus to then be excusing yourself from the table every two minutes...

What makes this recipe super special is that the hummus is baked in the oven... I have never known anyone to make it this way, yet it was very easy, filling and warming. I have to admit, that along with my recipe book, I had also lost the source of this divine hummus recipe and I was only able to salvage the recipe due to saving it on a recipe app I was using once..... which also cleverly saved the source! Here's to Ghillie Basan for the most delicious hummus recipe yet! Click here for the book!

Baking Hummus

Hot Housewife Tips!

My adaptations to the recipe as I find it the easiest way to remember that; we don't always have everything at hand, everything can be done slightly differently, and there are some things that just can never be left out!

I have now accepted (as the chickpea had to in Rumi's poem) that letting the chickpeas rest over night in water, (1 1/ inch extra water over the chickpeas) makes them softest, most delicious, and easier to digest. And when done properly the cooked chickpea is divine, and so is this hummus. 

After resting all night long, and washing away the water and the white stuff (I haven't bothered to work out what it is although I am quite sure it is unwanted) the next step is to boil the chickpeas... usually for 45 minutes in the pressure cooker on a low heat or for an hour and a half in a normal pot. For extra deliciousness add one or two bay leaves to the pot and some crushed garlic to let the chickpeas start to absorb the delicious flavours...

Chickpea conversion : Turns out... everyone has a different version! 

My version, in my climate, is 125g dried chickpeas = 1 tin of chickpeas (400g including water 240g without)

Some minor changes to the recipe: I always wait until the chickpeas, tahini and Greek yoghurt are fully mixed before adding any ingredients that might change the taste... I also only have a hand blender and it becomes quite dangerous blending each teaspoon in electrically!... I find hand mixing with a big spoon much safer, and easier option to stop and taste the garlic, lemon, salt , pepper, etc and bring the hummus to the perfect flavour.

The rest is super easy, super fast, super delicious, super yum! Enjoy!

The Hottest Hummus Around... Smokin!

Flash Frying the Chickpeas in Olive Oil and Paprika

Serves 4-6 

2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed  (250g dried Chickpeas)

2tsp Cumin Seeds (I used ground Cumin as I did not have these to hand)

4 Cloves of Garlic Crushed

4 tbsp Olive Oil

Freshly Squeezed Juice of two Lemons

2 tbsp Tahini

6 tbsp thick creamy Greek Yoghurt (Homemade if possible!)

Salt and Black Pepper

2-3 tbsp Chickpeas to Garnish (or some Pine Nuts)

2 Bay leaves for soaking, and one extra Clove of Garlic
Paprika/Parsley/Corriander/Cumin to Garnish

Directions

If you have dried chickpeas start here:

1. Put 250g Chickpeas in a bowl and cover with 1 1/2 inch water, leave to rest overnight

2. In the morning, put the chickpeas, Bay leaves and 1 crushed garlic in a pan. For every cup of chickpeas, add 1 cup of water. Boil for 1 1/2 hours in a normal pan, or for 45 minutes in a pressure cooker on full heat until chickpeas are tender

If you have tinned chickpeas start here:

3. Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/Gas Mark 6

4. Blend Chickpeas in an electric blender

5. Add Cumin/Cumin Seeds and Olive Oil to the Chickpeas until its a thick paste

6. Add the Tahini and continue blending until the paste is very thick and smooth

7. Add the yoghurt and blend further until the mixture has loosened a little and it has a creamy texture

8. Season to taste with Garlic, Lemon Salt, Pepper

9. Tip the mixture into an oven proof dish (I like terracotta)

10. Take a handful of unwhizzed Chickpeas (or Pine Nuts) and flash fry in butter

11. Pour the chickpeas and butter over the hummus and pop into the pre-heated oven for around 25 minutes, you will notice the hummus rising in the oven
12. Garnish further (optional) with a selection of: Paprika, Cumin, Parsely, Corriander

12. Serve immediately with warm bread, olive oil, olives and lots of love! (Love is essential!)