Mediterranean Mezze

When I first laid eyes on Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem, I knew that the cookbook was different from others. I don't know if it was the soft cushioned cover, the straightforward recipes with simple ingredients, or the use of fresh, vibrant vegetables -- but, since then, recipes from the book have become part of our regular meal rotations. Inspired by Ottolenghi's recipes, I once embarked on a mission to find preserved lemons, an ingredient he uses frequently in his preparations, but I do not typically have in stock. My quest took me to the nearest Middle Eastern grocery store where the shopowner seemed to have never heard of a preserved lemon. "Have you tried the Indian stores?" he asked me. Not sure if his question implied a general ignorance of regional ingredients or a tendency to racially/culturally profile customers, I gave up hope of finding prepared preserved lemons. Instead, I followed a Mark Bittman recipe to make a "quick" version of preserved lemons at home and that is what I used to make Ottolenghi's Chermoula Eggplant.

 These Turkey Zucchini burgers from the book are especially popular with the family and uses ingredients that are readily available. They are light, moist, and packed with fresh herbs and spices. I have made them so many times now that I no longer follow the recipe to a "t," improvising with whatever herbs and spices I have that day. I usually serve the burgers with the yogurt sauce suggested in the book and some couscous with roasted vegetables. Leftover burgers are also excellent filling for sandwiches or accompaniments to lunchtime salads.

Today, though, the turkey zucchini burgers were part of a Mediterranean mezze -- with home-made hummus, tzatziki sauce, pita, olives, and artichokes.

Hummus

What You Need
20 oz can of garbanzo beans (Ottolenghi recommends soaking the beans overnight, but I did not plan ahead, so had to make do with the canned variety.)
1/2 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
 5-6 tbsp Ice water
1/2 tsp Sumac (garnish)

Directions:

Drain canned beans and rinse under running water. Remove the skin of each bean by gently pressing them between your fingers. This is a time-consuming endeavor, but yields a smoother hummus in the end.

Place beans, tahini, salt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil in a food processor. Grind till smooth, adding ice water 2 tbsp at a time.

Top with a swirl of olive oil and sumac.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers

What You Need:
11/2 lb ground turkey
2 medium zucchini (grated)
4 stalks green onions (tops removed, finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
Handful of cilantro leaves (chopped)
Handful of mint leaves (chopped)
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano (this is my addition)
Olive oil for panfrying
Salt

Directions:
Press grated zucchini through a sieve to remove excess water.

Place ground turkey, grated zucchini, green onions, chopped herbs, garlic, cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix ingredients by hand.

Add beaten egg and mix all ingredients by hand again. Shape into burgers about 3 inches wide and 1/3 inch thick. This proportion should yield about 14-15 burgers.

Heat enough olive oil in a skillet to coat the bottom of the pan. Add a few burgers at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Sear the burgers on all sides, drizzling more oil if needed. Scrape up and remove the browned bits that will start collecting in the pan as you continue frying.

Place the cooked burgers in a warm oven while you fry the remainder.

Serve with tzatziki sauce or a simple sauce of yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and olive oil.