RECIPE: Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Yes, another Moroccan meatball recipe!  I was going to make the Moroccan Kefta recipe that's been on this site since 2019, but I was running late, rushing, and didn't notice the recipe was for 2 pounds of meat when I only had one pound.  I made a few other changes, and the result was so good I had to post it.  I served it with Carrot-Cilantro-Chickpea Pancakes and a Moroccan salad with oranges and pistachios.

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Serves 4

• 1 pound ground lamb
  
• 1/4 c. ground chia seeds 
• 1/4 c water
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sliced green onion white and light-green parts
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped parsley leaves and small stems
• 1/3 c. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and small stems
• 2 T. fresh mint, chopped
  
• 1/2 t. dried Moroccan mint
• 1/4 t. dried marjoram or 2 t. fresh
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. ras el hanout
• 1 heaping t. harissa (or to taste, based on your heat tolerance)
  
• 1 t. himalayan pink salt

In the bowl of a food processor, process the onions and fresh herbs until both are finely minced.

Add the chia, 1/4 c. water, eggs and spices.  Puree.

Add the meat and pulse to combine and grind the meat a little finer.  Don't  overdo it - the meat shouldn't be mush!

Set aside for at least 1 hour to let the flavors ripen.  Cook a small amount, taste, and adjust seasoning.

Preheat oven to 400 F and position rack in center.  Line a jell roll pan with parchment or Silpat.

Using a 1.5" disher, drop meat mixture onto the lined pan.  By placing them fairly close together I can get 44 meatballs onto the 10 x 11 pan that fits in our toaster oven (they're going to shrink, so they can almost touch).

Bake for 10 minutes. 

Moroccan lamb meatballs

Remove and let cool for a minute or two, then serve.  We like to dip them in Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce or harissa mayonnaise.

RECIPE: Zucchini Roll Sandwich that Actually Holds Together

I haven't finished testing this, but I'm putting it out there as a 'non-recipe' to inspire others to be creative with the zucchini in the farm store these days. 

There are so many YouTube and Instagram videos on making a zucchini roll sandwich, and I have tried several of them, but they always fall apart!  I developed this recipe, which is more complicated than the videos, but it actually holds together.  I make it with yellow zucchini (also called yellow summer squash) because I like the flavor better, but green zucchini will work, too. 

The recipe is written for the small 10" x 11" tray that fits in our toasted oven.  I used that to insure the recipe would work.  Not only did it work beautifully, it's the right size for two people.  I will update the recipe the next time I make it in a half-sheet pan.

TRICKS: the tricks that make this work are (1) sweat the zucchini to release moisture, (2) shingle at least 30%, (3) brush with beaten egg white to 'glue' the slices together, (4) prebake the zucchini before adding the cheese and finally, (5) let the roll cool slightly before trying to roll it.

Zucchini Roll Sandwich that Holds Together

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS:

• Zucchini Base

• 3 medium yellow zucchini
• Himalayan pink salt, for drawing out moisture
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp sliced fresh garlic
• Freshly ground black pepper

• Cheese Layer

• 2 cups grated Oaxaca cheese (8 ounces)
  
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
• ¼ tsp Mexican oregano
• 1 cup sliced green onions (white, light green, and dark green parts)

• Toppings

• Warm cooked chorizo, well drained (taco-seasoned ground beef would also work)
• Shredded lettuce
• Avocado slices or guacamole
• Ripe tomato, chopped
• Red onion, thinly sliced or minced
• Reserved green onion tops, thinly sliced
• Sour cream (optional)
• Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Using a mandoline or Benrinner, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/16-inch slabs. Arrange on a dish towel, sprinkle lightly with salt, and let stand about 30 minutes to release moisture. Begin blotting after about 20 minutes.  I used paper towels so I could see how much moisture was released, and I continued blotting every 5 minutes until there was little moisture left.

   

   Sweat zucchini on dish towel, then soak up moisture with paper towels.
   

   
   
2. Do not over-dry the zucchini or it will take longer to cook and it won't adhere - you just want to remove some of the internal water, not all of it.  
3. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375F.
4. Melt the butter and gently sweat the garlic over medium-low heat until fragrant and softened. Do not allow it to brown.  Set aside.
   
5. Line a 10 × 11-inch baking tray with 3 layers of parchment paper.  This will insure you have a sturdy underlayer with which to flip the roll, if you choose to do that.
   
6. Arrange the zucchini in overlapping shingles, completely covering the pan.  Overlap each layer at least 1/3.  There should be 2/3 showing, 1/3 covered with the next layer.  Overlap the sides about 1/8 inch.  
7. Brush evenly and generously with the beaten egg white and allow 5 min or so for the egg white to seep between the layers.

   

   Shingle zucchini, then brush with beaten egg white.
   

   
   
8. Scatter the sweated garlic over the zucchini and season lightly with freshly ground black pepper.
   
9. Bake at 375°F for 8–12 minutes, or until the egg white is set and the zucchini is tender.  It's important the zucchini is cooked through or it won't create a cohesive sheet or adhere to the cheese.
10. Combine the Oaxaca, Parmesan, Mexican oregano, and sliced green onions. Spread evenly over the zucchini.
11. Bake an additional 3–4 minutes, until the cheese has melted.  If the cheese cooks for too long, the fat will separate and it will become a greasy mess.
12. Switch to broil for about 2 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese develops light golden-brown spots.
13. While the cheese browns, reheat the cooked chorizo in a skillet, allowing excess fat to render. Drain well.
14. Remove from the oven and let the flatbread rest 5 minutes.
15. Cut into four squares. The flatbread should lift cleanly from the parchment.  We could have rolled this, but choose to use it at "bread" instead.
    
16. Top each serving with shredded lettuce, warm chorizo, avocado, tomato, red onion, green onion tops, and sour cream. Serve with lime wedges.

    

    Zucchini-cheese covered with chorizo, lettuce, avocado
    

    
    

NOTE: If you want to roll this:  Cover a cutting board with a sheet of parchment.  After letting the roll cool for 5 minutes, flip the zucchini-cheese sheet onto a cutting board.  Spread the filling onto it, then roll it LENGTHWISE using the parchment to lift it.  It will be easier to roll with the zucchini inside the roll and the cheese will hold the slices together. 

OTHER FILLING OPTIONS:

Burger

• Ground beef
• Cheddar instead of oaxaca
  
• Lettuce chiffonade
• Thinly sliced tomatoes
  
• Thinly sliced dill pickles
  
• Sport peppers
  
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard

Mediterranean

• Grilled chicken
• Cherry tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Fresh basil
• Feta instead of oaxaca
  
• Lemon zest
• Tzatziki on the side

Greek

• Lamb
• Feta instead of oaxaca
  
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Dill
• Mint
• Tzatziki

Moroccan

• Lamb 
• Roasted red peppers
  
• Harissa
• Dates
• Mandarin oranges
  
• Red onion
• Mint

Breakfast

• Crisp bacon or breakfast sausage
• Scrambled eggs
• Chives
• Cheddar instead of oaxaca
  
• Hot sauce

RECIPE: Nasturtium Pesto

My husband plants nasturtiums in our raised beds to draw aphids away from the food plants.  I think nasturtiums are delicious!  I use the leaves, flowers, and seed pods in salads, I use the flowers in ice cubes, and I have pickled the seed pods.  

Last fall, when the weather forecast called for 'frost', I harvested the plants and looked for a way to use such a large amount.  When I stumbled on this recipe I knew I would love it! I've made it with both pistachios and cashews.    

I greatly reduced the amounts of cheese, nuts, and oil, because I wanted to taste the nasturtiums - the pesto is wonderful with roasted tomato soup.  You can adjust the quantities to suit your taste as well.

Yesterday, I harvested a bowlful of leaves and flowers.  I didn't have as many as I did last fall, so I adjusted the recipe accordingly, and it was just as good as I remember.  I stored it in Miron glass to protect the color, and tasted it every few days to see how it changed.  It was quite sharp right after I made it, and deliciously mellow after 5 days, which is the longest you should keep it or you risk contracting botulism.  I stirred it into quark (about 60:40 quark:pesto) and scooped it up with carrot dippers.  

Original recipe: Nasturtium Pesto

Nasturtium Pesto

Nasturtium Pesto

Makes about 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups (approximately 3 oz) of APHID-FREE nasturtium leaves, flowers and buds (more leaves = greener), washed and spun dry*
  
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup) raw cashews
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup) grated parmesan or pecorino-romano cheese
• 3 t. garlic, grated on a microplane
• 2 t. lemon zest, minced 
• 1/2 cup avocado oil, divided
• Salt and pepper/cayenne to taste.
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Put the cheese into the bowl of a processor and pulse to grind fine

Add the nuts to the processor and pulse to grind fine

You can see the cheese and cashews on the bottom, nasturtiums on top

Add the garlic, lemon zest and nasturtiums to the processor and pulse until they're chopped.

Nasturtium leaves, flowers and seed pods.

Pulse to chop.

Add 1/4 cup of the oil and process to a paste.  If you need to, add another tablespoon or two, but reserve 1-2 T oil to top the pesto once it's in the jar.  

Add oil, and grind to a paste.

Add salt and pepper to taste.   

Transfer to a glass container.  Cover the top with 1-2 T. oil.  Refrigerate and use within with 5 days, or freeze.  

I taste this every day and find that I like it best the day after I make it.  Towards the end of the 5 days, the nasturtiums start to lose their bite.  Best to freeze it as soon as you love the flavor if you won't be using it soon!

*I cleaned the nasturtiums, and then stored them in the fridge, in a glass container, until I was ready to use them.  If you won't be using them soon after harvesting, please keep them in the fridge so they don't wilt.  If they do wilt, rejuvenate them in a bowl of cold water, then dry them well before proceeding with the recipe.

The Weck jar below will go in the fridge, the other two in the freezer: