Lebna bil Kusa (summery squash & cumin spread)
Think outside the hummus.
Hummus is the "king (or queen) of spreads", but lebna bil kusa makes a great princess!
I love me some hummus and it has been heartening to know that I am not alone in my enthusiasm - when you see a Super Bowl ad featuring a food, you know that it has truly been adopted by America. This love affair with hummus in the U.S. is so passionate that I even use it as a case study for examining the biocultural factors contributing to cuisine in one of the courses I teach at UC Berkeley. Hummus adheres to many current food trends - among other things, it's plant-based, Mediterranean, healthy, and snackable and, as this Wall Street Journal article discusses, demand has grown to the point that you'd be unlikely to attend any kind of potluck without finding some sort of hummus on the table. Many of the store-bought hummuses you'll find at a potluck however, are made from dried and powdered garbanzo beans, which are incredibly subpar in my opinion (though powdered hummus is great for backpacking). But, I digress - this post is supposed to be about another spread and I promise I'm getting there!
Typically, I'm a hummus purest. Give me a blend of chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon, and salt and I am happy (please don't put garlic in my hummus). I worked for many years off-and-on at an "eclectic Mediterranean" restaurant in Berkeley that is now, sadly, closed. The owners are a husband and wife team, good friends of mine, and most of my Mediterranean cooking skillz I credit to the Iraqi husband. In addition to teaching me to not put garlic in hummus, he showed me that although hummus is still the king of spreads, there are some other contenders that give it a run for its money.
Lebna bill kusa (in Arabic, lebna means "yogurt" and kusa means "squash") is one of those contenders. As it's made with yellow squash, which is only available in summer months, one of the great things about LbK is that it is always a seasonal treat. As a side note, did you know that the straight yellow summer squash is also called "gold bar squash"? Pretty cool and appropriate. The yogurt in LbK nixes it from the list of dishes you can share with your vegan homies, but by upping the tahini/olive oil and adding some lemon juice you can make a vegan version that's almost - but not quite - as good. The recipe specifies a range of quantities because whenever I make it I just kind of mix and match until the consistency and flavor is to my liking. Feel free to add other herbs and spices as desired or make it as thick/thin as you like it! Zucchini would also work, but the color would not be as appealing. Makes about 2 cups.
Yellow summer squash (aka "gold bar squash" shown here) gives lebna bil kusa its bright hue.
1.5 pounds summer squash (about 3 medium "gold bar" squash or 4-6 pattypan or crookneck), chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1-2 tablespoons tahini
1-2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt, to taste
Rustic bread or crackers from whole grains or crisp raw vegetables are a great way to dip up this spread.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss diced squash with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden brown, tossing halfway through.
Using either a food processor or potato masher (food processor if you like your spreads to be smoother, potato masher for chunkier), blend squash with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon tahini, and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Continue adding more of these wet ingredients in small amounts in addition to cumin and salt until you have reached the desired texture and taste.
Serve immediately with crackers, bread, or raw vegetables or store in refrigerator for up to one week. Garnish with paprika, herbs, and drizzled olive oil if desired.
Shaved Zucchini Salad With Parmesan and Toasted Pine Nuts
I never appreciated raw zucchini until I tried this salad. It was 2008 in Italy at the Terra Madre conference where I was fortunate enough to attend as a delegate. Before that fortuitous encounter, I believe undercooked zucchini to be a missed opportunity relegated to steam tables at low-budget buffets alongside poorly done chicken parmesan. However, slicing zucchini squash into delicate slivers, tossing with a fresh lemon-olive oil dressing, and pairing with toasted pine nuts and parmesan (as is done in this salad) totally transforms the texture and flavor to be something purely delightful. The other great thing about this salad? It's incredibly quick to make, requires ingredients you are likely to already have around, and is the perfect addition to a summer dinner washed down with rose. Below recipe serves 4, but can easily be adapted to more or less people.
2 large zucchini (or summer squash)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 ounce pine nuts
1 ounce parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Using a mandolin, shave zucchini into thin rounds or thing long slices*.
Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Toss zucchini in dressing and add more salt/pepper to taste.
Toast pine nuts in a cast iron pan on medium high for about 2 minutes, tossing frequently, until golden brown.
Top zucchini with pine nuts, grated parmesan, and parsley.
Serve at room temperature.
Delicate rings of raw zucchini to eat by the forkful.
Roasted Delicata Rings with Tahini
Rich tahini sauce perfectly complements loops of winter squash.
This is the dish - the dish that you can bring to any gathering and it will be well received. Being vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly, and pseudo-paleo (to all but the very strict of paleos), you'll get "oohs" and "awes" from all people present. Beyond that, it's delicious, provides healthy fats, and requires no utensils! Serves 4 as a side.
2 medium delicata squash (about 1.5 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
About 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
Juice from 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons water
Pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
“Delicata seeds are can be roasted along with the squash if desired. Simply rinse, pat dry, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and other seasonings of choice, and roast for 7-8 minutes, tossing halfway through.”
Clean the delicata squash well. Slice into rings 1/2-inch thick and remove seeds and pulp from squash rings using a spoon or a knife. It is okay if some pulp strands are left, as they will not be noticeable once roasted.
Place delicata rings on a baking sheet and using your fingers, toss with just enough olive oil to coat (about 1-tablespoon). Be careful with the oil - too much will make the squash soggy. Spread rings out in a single layer.
Sprinkle with one pinch of salt per pan and roast about 12-15 minutes on each side until soft and browned on edges.
While squash is roasting, blend garlic with tahini, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt using a food processor or immersion blender. Blend in remaining olive oil and enough water to create a thick, fluffy sauce.
Remove squash from oven, allow to cool to room temperature, and serve with tahini sauce for dipping. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs (optional).