THE FARMERS MARKET:

I make a habit of buying  my veggies at the Saturday farmers market in central Geneva (8am-1pm Rive). Even during the winter, I bundle up and brave the cold weather, as their garden produce really is worth the extra effort, plus I like to support the local farmers. While the variety is less impressive than in the summer months , there is still an excellent choice of winter veggies to be had:

• Arugula                           
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celeriac
• Chard
• Lettuce (certain types)
• Endives
• Kale
• Garlic
• Leeks (used in this recipe)
• Onions (used in this recipe)
• Parsnips
• Radicchio
• Radishes
• Spinach (used in this recipe)

(see The Westside Gardener for winter vegetable gardening)

Farmers Market shopping 101:

1. Plan recipes for the week, it’s economical & a fun to find the ingredients in the market. This also avoids over stocking of the fridge – I hate throwing food away & the freezer has a limited capacity.
2. Make a list, as if you are like me, the sight of all that wonderful fresh produce makes you want to buy everything in sight.
3. Bring a basket, you’ll look like a local & won’t end up with 15 flimsy plastic bags  
4. Walk around before buying, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the stalls
5. Check your prices, as often stalls closest to the ends of the market are more expensive
6. Watch out for impostors – just because it’s a farmers market doesn’t mean everything is ’in season’,  local and biologically grown

So this past weekend I went with my list of ingredients to make several dishes including this one for Persian spinach, leek & red kidney beans. The lemon & spices really makes all the difference in combining the vegetable flavours while adding delicious fragrant aromas. Another plus is that this is an economical recipe - good for the times we live in & for watching our grocery bills.

RECIPE – SWEET PEA Blog

• 100 grams (1/2 cup) dried red kidney beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 small leeks (white, pale green part only)
• 500 grams fresh spinach
• 1/2 bunch of parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 5 large strips lemon rind (use carrot peeler, then chop into fine strips)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I use freshly grated)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste

Bean Preparation:

1. Soak the beans in 2 cups cold water, over night or for 4-5 hours.
2. Drain beans, rinse. 
3. Cook covered in water on medium/low heat until softened but still a little crunchy.
4. Drain, rinse & set aside

Spinach / Leek / Onion preparation: 

1. Cut each leek in 1/2 lengthwise, wash well, chop into thin semi circles. Set aside.
2. Wash spinach well (twice if needed) Remove stems. Cut into thick strips (1cm, 1/2 inch). Set aside.
3. Finley chop onion. In an extra large skillet (frying pan) heat oil over medium/low heat & sweat onions.
4. Add chopped leeks & cook, stirring often until wilted (5 minutes)
5. Add chopped spinach, chopped parsley & water. Cover  & cook till spinach is just wilted (5 minutes)
6. Add kidney beans, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & pepper. Stir gently. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
7. Serve over Basmati rice (I make the rice without fried onions for this recipe)

NOTE: This dish is best served immediately. Do not over cook spinach & leeks or they will loose their bright colour. I used organic, unwaxed lemons for the rind.

FESENJAN : Persian lamb recipe

Don’t you just love  how life has little culinary surprises in store for you…

This year we spent New Years Eve in a quaint Swiss chalet, nestled in the mountains of Eastern Switzerland. It was here that I had the good fortune of meeting Roswit & her daughter Lilly, in the kitchen…. We got to talking about cooking (funny that!) and it turns out that Roswit’s husband is Iranian and she’s learned to make several Persian dishes over the years. This explained why the chalet was filled with the delicious smells & fragrant spices during the holidays.

To my delight we exchanged details and one week later I opened my emails to find her wonderful Fesenjan recipe. This is a traditional Persian dish of duck, in a walnuts & pomegranate sauce. Roswit’s version uses lamb meatballs in a thick walnut, tomato & pomegranate sauce. It is not just the delicious scent of this dish that will capture your heart, not to mention your appetite, but the sumptuous flavour combinations. The lamb with cinnamon, garlic & a hint of sweet/sour pomegranate, with the unctuous nutty sauce that almost tastes creamy without the use of actual cream.

In the future I will try this recipe with chicken or duck and perhaps decorate the top with pomegranate seeds. I also recommend using fresh whole grain / whole wheat bread instead of white bread or bread crumbs as it keeps the meat very moist & juicy. I also used a slightly larger quantity of lamb (280 grams total), as I prefer this meat to onion ratio. This dish is excellent served on a bed of basmati onion rice (** see recipe at end of post).

FESENJAN

Walnut/Pomegranate sauce:

• 2 cups shelled walnuts
• 1 can peeled whole tomatoes (400g net weight can)
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice*
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups cold water

*For the pomegranate juice, cut a whole pomegranate in 1/2 and juice it. If you cannot find pomegranets use cranberry juice as a substitute.

• 280 gr mince lamb (I asked the butcher for a piece of the shoulder, fat removed & minced)
• 1 egg
• 4 slices fresh wholegrain bread
• 1/2 bunch parsley (you can add more if you like)
• 2  small white onion
• 2 garlic cloves, freshly pressed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable (not olive) oil for frying meat balls

1. Sauce preparation: In a blender, combine walnuts, tomatoes, pomegranate juice, sugar & water until you have a creamy homogeneous mixture.
2. Pour sauce into a pot, cover & cook on low heat for 2 hours. Stir regularly. The colour will naturally darken. NOTE: if you are pressed for time, this recipe still works if you only cook the sauce for 30 minutes.
3. Meat preparation: I use the blender for all the chopping. 1st finely chop the onions. Cook till translucent with a little olive oil – they are easier to digest. Next finely chop the bread & parsley.
4. In a large bowl combine cooked onions, chopped bread & parsley, pressed garlic, cinnamon, salt & pepper, egg & minced lamb.
5. From the meatballs into ping-pong sized balls, set on a plat.
6. In a non stick frying pan on high heat, add vegetable oil & quickly fry the meatballs  for 2 minutes to brown the outsides. Turn regularly to avoid burning. DO NOT OVER COOK or they will dry out.
7. Now gently add the fried meatballs to the sauce. Turn of stove OFF & let sit for 15 minutes.

BASMATI ONION RICE Recipe:

• 200 grams basmati rice
• 600 mL cold water
• 3 whole cardamon pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 laurel (bay) leaves
• 4 pepper corns (any colour)
• 4 whole coriander seeds
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter (1 for the onions, 2 for the rice at the end)
• 1 medium white onion

1. Wash the rice in cold water.
2. In a large saucepan add water, rice, spices & salt.
3. Cover & bring almost to a boil. Reduce heat to med/low and let cook for 20 mins or until water is absorbed. NO STIRRING NECESSARY. Watch that it does not bubble over at the beginning when you have just reduced the heat.
4. Finely chop onion and fry on a low heat with 1 tablespoon butter, until a light golden colour. Do not overcook as you want the onions to remain soft.
5. Once rice is cooked, remove from heat, add butter & fried onions, stir well, recover and set aside for 5-10 minutes before serving.  You can add a few flecks of saffron for colour!

Healthier rice : omit the fried onions & use little or no added butter