Many of my earlier recipes featuring Salad Burnet were
British in origin, however today we are going to consider its culinary uses in
the Middle East. Our 3 recipes include a savory marinated lambchop,
a cucumber salad with tomatoes & onions, and an herbed yogurt dip that can be served with
deep-fried falafel. I think this meal would go really well with mint tea.
“There is a legend that a Hungarian King (Chaba) used the juice of
salad burnet to stop the bleeding wounds of fifteen thousand men, so it must
have grown abundantly there. In some
Middle Eastern cultures it was believed that a new sword should be tempered
with salad burnet juice mixed with mole blood to ensure the edge would remain
sharp.”
If you don't have a sword, you can still enjoy yet another group of recipes that use this fresh
heirloom herb called Salad Burnet, check out my other blogs about this herb if
you want links to buy seeds online to grow your own.
INDEX to Recipes in
this Blog:
1) Tangy Burnet Yogurt Dressing (goes well with falafel)
2) Izmir Salatasi Turkish lamb chops
3) Cucumber Salad with Tomatoes, Onions, Salad Burnet &
Pine Nuts
Tangy Burnet Yogurt
Dressing
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup burnet leaves, minced
salt to taste
Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and olive oil. Add
the garlic and burnet. Taste and add a few dashes of salt if needed. (this
sauce goes really well served with falafel as an appetizer or vegetarian option
but also can be served to accompany the lamb)
Izmir Salatasi - Turkish lamb chops -
DRESSING AND MARINADE:
3 cups extra virgin olive oil
Juice from, 6 lemons
Lemon zest from, 2 lemons, finely grated,
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint,
4 tablespoons chopped salad burnet
Salt and pepper, to taste
FOR LAMB:
1/2 marinade recipe (above),
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill,
12 lamb chops
SALAD -
4 cups arugula, washed,
1/2 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped,
3/4 cup European cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced,
3 fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into wedges,
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted,
3/4 cup purple onions, fine julienne
Combine ingredients for dressing/marinade; reserving half
for salad. Add dill to remaining half and marinate chops in this for at least
one hour, preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add lamb; cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast lamb chops to desired done-ness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to platter, cover, and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add lamb; cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast lamb chops to desired done-ness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to platter, cover, and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Combine arugula, parsley, cucumber, tomato, and onion, and
dress with olive oil-lemon mixture. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Arrange on plate with grilled lamb chops. Garnish greens mixture with toasted
pine nuts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (original source links, recipes have been altered by this author)
http://hungreem.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-salad-burnet-show.html
http://www.yemek-tarifi.info/english/recipe.php?recipeid=423
Historically informative quote transcribed from "Herbal
Choices: A gardening novel with herbal recipes" By Carolee Snyder
http://books.google.com/books?id=RB4uL-SKfncC&pg=PA165&dq=salad+burnet+snyder&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KRMZU8P5E9LE2QWPoYHoCQ&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=salad%20burnet%20snyder&f=false