Lemony Sesame Tahina Sauce

"What can I put on my vegetables to make them taste good?" is a question I often hear from patients. Although fresh vegetables should taste good all on their own, lemon sesame tahina will add a touch of luxury to almost any vegetable which finds its way your plate and palate. The flavor of freshly made tahina is far superior to anything store bought. Preparation time: eight minutes.

Sesame seed paste is made of ground up sesame seeds (raw or toasted). Straight from the jar it is dense, intensely flavored and not terribly appealing. But it can be magically transformed into a velvety sauce or dip by blending it with fresh lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, water and salt. (The word "tahina" is derived from the Arabic verb which means "to grind").

There are many traditional tahina recipes. The simple but authentic recipe below calls for a minimum of ingredients. It is my rendition of the fabulous tahina I've eaten on the streets of Tel Aviv, where it is served drizzled over a plate of "hummus fuul", an unforgettable hummus and fava bean dish.  Rich in flavor,  tahina is high in nutrients including protein, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids.

Lemony Sesame Tahina Sauce:

3/4 cup sesame seed paste ( room temperature)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup fresh water plus extra as needed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Place sesame paste, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil in the blender. Slowly begin to process on low, adding a stream of water as ingredients start to combine. Continue to blend and add water until tahina reaches the consistency you desire.  When sauce is smooth, blend in sea salt, then taste and correct seasoning if necessary.  Store tahina in a glass jar in the fridge until needed. Serve with fresh raw or cooked vegetables of your choosing.

Tahina is also a delicious garnish for lentils, black beans or other legumes. The beloved middle eastern staple, fuul mudammas, (fava bean stew) is often served with a generous portion of tahina.  To learn how to make  "Fuul Mudammas" see the earlier blog post by that name.

Dried fava beans for stew.

Summer Squash & Tomato Salad: Warm Is Cool

This minimalist composed salad is a simple combination of steamed summer squash, fresh raw tomatoes and herbs. Ultra ripe flavorful tomatoes such as dry farmed, heirloom or home grown are best for this recipe. Fresh aromatic herbs like basil, parsley or oregano are a perfect compliment to the delicate warm squash and the cool tangy tomato.


4 summer squash, sliced less than 1/4 inch thick
2- 3 medium tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
fresh herbs such as Italian parsley, basil or oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 2 large lemons
2 or 3 tablespoons water
2 pinches sea salt or to taste
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

Steam squash slices until just tender. While squash is cooking, slice tomatoes and arrange on a platter. Make salad dressing by combining olive oil, lemon juice, water, sea salt and oregano in a glass jar. Shake well, taste and adjust seasoning.

Remove squash carefully from steamer basket. Compose salad by placing a layer of warm squash on top of tomato slices; make another layer if there are more vegetables. Garnish with parsley or basil leaves.

Serve salad immediately on individual plates; sprinkle liberally with salad dressing. Wrap extra salad well and store in the fridge; it will taste great the next day.

Garden State Salad Dressing (Oh New Jersey!)

As a native of the Garden State (home of the best tomatoes in the western world) one of the first things I learned to make in the kitchen was salad dressing. Making your own is one of the easiest kitchen tasks imaginable; home made is fresher tasting, more flavorful and far healthier than anything from a bottle.

When I began mixing up my first salad dressings, no one had ever heard of balsamic vinegar, raspberry- infused vinegars or extra virgin olive oil; red wine vinegar and olive oil were what we knew and always kept on hand. You may use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or rice vinegar if you prefer. Dried herbs work well in this recipe, as long as they haven't been on your shelf for too long. If you have fresh oregano or marjoram, crush the leaves a bit before adding them to the dressing.

Oil and vinegar recipes usually call for a ratio of 3 parts oil to one part vinegar; in this recipe the proportions are reversed because I just don't like that much oil on my salad. You may adjust the oil - vinegar ratio to your preference. After making this recipe a few times, you'll learn to portion out the oil and vinegar without a measuring spoon. Here's all that's needed to make a delicious simple oil and vinegar dressing:

a glass jar which holds about 1+1/2 cups, with tight fitting lid
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 or 3 pinches dried oregano or marjoram
1 or 2 pinches sea salt

Place all ingredients in jar, close tightly and shake vigorously. Dip a piece of whatever leafy green is handy into the dressing; taste and adjust seasoning. If the dressing is too sharp, add a tablespoon of water.

Serve on your favorite leafy green salad, sliced ripe tomatoes, or on steamed vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or Yukon Gold potatoes. Dressing will keep in the fridge for several days; shake well before serving.