Toum

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 - 4 cups sunflower oil chilled
• 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, divided
• 1/2 cup ice cold water, divided
• 1 3/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Before you begin, place your oil in the freezer or refrigerator so that it is chilled, but still liquid. While the oil chills, remove the ends from your garlic cloves, split them in half and remove any green layers from inside. In a food processor, combine garlic cloves, salt, 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the ice cold water.

Process until smooth, then stop and scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula.

Turn the food processor back on and drizzle the chilled canola oil through the top as SLOWLY as possible, one cup at a time. If you don't have a steady hand I suggest putting the oil in a squeeze bottle and drizzling it in that way. After each cup of oil, add 1 tbsp each of the lemon juice and cold water.

Scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary. Be sure that your processor does not get too hot, as this can cause your sauce to separate.

Add oil until you've reached the texture you desire. The final result should resemble a soft mayonnaise. Store toum in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe makes a pretty big batch, but it should keep for up to 4 weeks and it can be used on so many things. You'll be happy you have extra. Enjoy!

Myrtle's Note:  This was exactly like the white garlic sauce that I have had in Lebanese restaurants.  It  did not last very long for me before separating.  I do not know if that is because I didn't emulsify it enough or because this was my first batch.  I mixed up the separated toum again and it tasted just fine.  A lot of folk consider it middle eastern mayonnaise.  It goes so well with meat, but also combined with other middle easter food on pieces of naan, such as chicken shawarma, baba ganoush, lemon basil hummus, and labneh.


Yield:  3 cups

Source:  http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2015/03/toum-middle-eastern-garlic-sauce/

Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds green tomatillos
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 serrano chiles or more to taste
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and upper stems 
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped white onion
• 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil

Directions:

Peel the husks off and since the tomatillos.  Then place them, along with the garlic cloves and chiles, in a pot and add enough water to cover. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tomatillos change in color from bright green to a pale green, are cooked through, and are soft, but are not coming apart.

Transfer the tomatillos, garlic, chile (you may want add only 1 chile at first), and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a blender and puree until smooth. Incorporate the cilantro leaves, onion and salt and process again. Taste for salt and add more if need be. Also taste for heat, you may add the other chile in pieces until you reach your desired heat level.

In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, pour the oil. Once hot, pour in the salsa verde, bring to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until it thickens a bit and deepens its flavor and color. Turn off the heat.

Allow to cool to room temperature and serve. Or, once it cools down, you may store it in a closed container in the refrigerator for weeks.

Myrtle's Note:  I have never made salsa and I do not eat salsa.  So, when looking for a recipe, I thought to use one of Pati Jinich.  I chose the salsa verde, because I thought that might be my sister's favorite.  For the "heat,"  I used 1 and 1/2 chilies.  My guests LOVED this!

Yield:  2 cups

Source:  https://patijinich.com/recipe/salsa-verde/