Mediterranean tour of flavours for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC

 Tonight I have the pleasure of presenting the following sampling from around the Mediterranean for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC.  Bonnie Tulloch, Education Coordinator for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, will be presenting on the origins of the plant life represented here and TBA rep from the MLCC will be providing beverage pairings.  Photos to come after tonight's event.
I am presenting a dish from ancient Greece, Turkey, Italy and Spain.



1. Greek Fava Beans

Soak 2 cups large dried fava beans overnight.  Peel
1 chopped onion
olive oil
oregano
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook peeled fava beans until soft. Drain.  In a saucepan, heat up olive oil and cook chopped onion until soft and translucent.  Add beans and slowly cook over medium heat, stirring so as not to burn.  Add remaining ingredients.  Serve hot or cold.  Has a remarkable floral taste.  Serve with breads.

2. Patliçan Yogürtlü

1 lg eggplant sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt

Slice and salt eggplant and let sit in a bowl of cold water. If eggplant is very young, skip the step of salt and water. Rinse and squeeze out water from slices.

Mince garlic and stir into yoghurt with salt.

Sauté eggplant slices on medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and let sit for a moment on a paper towel. Place on platter and top with yoghurt mixture. Sprinkle rubbed oregano and paprika over yoghurt. Top with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with baguette slices or water crackers.

Enjoy!

3. Sage Butter pasta (Burro e salvia) (back by popular demand)

1/3 cup butter.
Bunch of fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Black pepper.

Wash and dry the sage leaves. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sage. Cook very gently over a low flame taking care not to let the butter burn. Pour over cooked pasta and stir through well together with freshly grated parmesan. This super-quick sauce is ideal with 'naked ravioli' (ravioli filling without the pasta) but is also suitable with any short pasta. In this case, drain the cooked pasta keeping back a little of the water. Return the pasta to the saucepan, add the sage and butter and stir over a low heat for a minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in a good helping of grated Parmesan.

The sauce should look smooth and creamy; if it has dried out too much, add a few drops of milk or fresh cream. Grind a little black pepper over when serving.

Enjoy!

4. Spanish Smoked Paprika Shrimp

1 lb peeled, wild caught shrimp
1 tbs butter
Drizzle olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika
Pinch sea salt

Heat butter and oil in sauté pan. Add shrimp and toss well. Add garlic and then paprika. Serve with bread when shrimp is firm and pink.