Sweet Red Pepper-Beet Soup
Baked Vegetable Tagine with Preserved Lemon
I got the recipe from this amazing book. I couldn't find it online, so here is the recipe:
2-3 T olive oil
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
a thumb size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1-2 red chiles chopped (I actually used dried chiles and removed after cooking)
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric (I added this)
3-4 potatoes, chopped (I used red and left the skins on)
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
8-10 broccoli florets
2 1/2 c. vegetable broth
2 c. fresh or frozen peas
1 preserved lemon, sliced (I used 2)
leaves from a bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 large tomatoes, sliced
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat the oil in a tagine or heavy based casserole dish. Add the onions and saute until they begin to change color. Add the garlic, ginger, and chiles and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cumin seeds and spices then toss in the potatoes, carrots, and broccoli. Pour in the stock, cover, and either cook over the stove, or place in oven for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduced. Season. Toss in the peas, preserved lemon, and half the cilantro. Arrange the tomato slices, overlapping each other and top with little dots of butter (I used olive oil). Pop back into oven, uncovered to brown the tomatoes.
Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve with couscous, pita, or crackers.
Preserved Lemons
This is not the exact recipe I used, but it is the most simple, and you can play with it a bit. I did not get enough juice out of my lemons to cover them, so I read that adding vodka can help to preserve and add extra liquid. You can also add spices such as cardamom, start anise, and cinnamon. Some recipes also call for sugar, so Anna Steinhoff, you were right to ask!
