Big, gnarly fava bean pods are in season right now, just as winter gives way from cool nights to bright, warm days. Heaps of the greens loved in the Middle East appear in the shouks (Arabic word for market): peas, string beans, asparagus, and for a short while, these fresh fava beans.

Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.

Fresh beans are peeled twice: once when when you slide them out of their pods, and again when you squish each bean out from its rubbery covering. True; a little extra work. But it’s a restful task, and the soup is wonderfully herby, and redolent of green Springtime.

The preparation time listed relates to fresh beans. Frozen beans won’t need the peeling.

You’ll notice that the recipe calls for a fair amount of cilantro, but you can easily swap parsley for it if you prefer.

Fava Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen fava bean pods
1 large leek, well washed and sliced ​​into thin rings (about 2 cups)
2 celery stalks sliced
2 carrots, sliced thinly
2 zucchini, diced
2 large potatoes, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
A bunch of coarsely chopped cilantro (about a cup)
8 cups/2 liters water or more as needed

Pull the strings off each pod and open it along the slit to expose the green beans. Use your thumbnail or a small knife. Push the beans out. Make a small cut in each bean, along the black stripe on its side, and squish it free of its sheath.

If using frozen beans, skip this step.
Heat olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, carrots, zucchini and potatoes. Add turmeric, salt and black pepper, stir and let the vegetables cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 8 cups of water, stir and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes over medium heat until all the vegetables are tender.

Add the peeled fava beans, bring back to a boil and continue cooking for another 45 minutes. Check the soup once or twice: if necessary, add a little water.

Using a potato masher, mash the vegetables very coarsely.

Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt and pepper if needed.

Turn off the heat and add a bunch of finely chopped cilantro or parsley.
Serve right away, and enjoy.

Love fava beans and want another recipe? Try this fava bean Iranian salad

The post Fresh Fava Bean Soup, A Vegan Springtime Recipe appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you are the kind of person who heroically eats a few pounds of salmon every week, chases it with sardines, and lectures your friends about the virtues of oily fish, congratulations: you are doing the best thing for your body. 

In the modern nutrition universe, that level of commitment deserves an applause. But for those who don’t live in a Nordic fishing village, the nutrition company Zinzino has built its omega-3 research and formulations around these principles, combining biomarker testing, antioxidant protection and traceable sourcing across both sustainably harvested small-fish oils and a vegan marine-microalgae alternative. It’s biohacking at the next level. 

They explain why: Because omega-3 fatty acids, the famous EPA and DHA found in marine foods, remain among the most important structural fats in the human body. They support brain signaling, heart health, immune balance and cellular communication. Unlike trendy nutrients that cycle through wellness blogs, omega-3 has survived decades of scientific scrutiny.

But here is the catch: most people are not eating enough of the right seafood. And supplement companies may be giving you confusing information.

Walk into any health store and you’ll see shelves lined with omega-3 oils promising brain health, heart health, joint support and more. Yet not all omega-3s are created equal, and the differences go far beyond price or flavor. You might assume the best oils are the ones that taste the strongest or come from the coldest waters on Earth. But before you shop, it helps to understand what you’re actually getting. Where does the oil come from? Is fishing sustainable? Can vegan sources really replace fish? And does the body actually absorb what’s written on the label?

These questions sit at the intersection of environmental integrity, science-backed innovation and sustainability and we ask these questions today to a company that makes the gold standard omega-3 for pescetarians and vegans. 

Founded in Norway and headquartered in Sweden, Zinzino approaches omega-3 as both a nutritional and biochemical challenge. Rather than simply sourcing oil and labeling it, the company focuses on how to deliver EPA and DHA in a form the body can actually use while protecting fragile fatty acids from oxidation.

Think Mediterranean oil-pressing traditions adapted to modern nutrition science.

Its BalanceOil+ blends purified oil from small wild-caught fish such as sardines, mackerel and anchovies with cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil rich in early-harvest polyphenols. Small fish, they say,  are less likely to accumulate heavy metals from the food chain. The olive oil antioxidants come from Picual olives grown in Spain and Koroneiki olives from Cyprus, creating a protective environment for the omega-3 while supporting absorption. 

Recently Emmalee Gisslevik, PhD, Senior Research & Development Specialist – BalanceOil, spoke to Green Prophet to talk about environmental integrity, science-backed innovation and sustainability, and how omega-3 supplements are evolving alongside these priorities.

Omega-3 science, algae versus fish, and why quality, source and oxidation protection may matter more than most people realize. Below is our conversation.

Let’s start simple: why are omega-3s still such a big deal nutritionally today?

Because omega-3s are not just fashionable nutrients—they are structurally important fats that are incorporated into cell membranes throughout the body to facilitate key functions in the body such as heart, brain and immune health. The long-chain marine omega-3s, EPA and DHA, are especially relevant because they are the biologically active forms most closely linked to established physiological functions, while the body converts only limited amounts from plant omega-3 (ALA). They also remain highly relevant today because many people do not eat oily fish regularly, even though marine foods are still the main dietary source of EPA and DHA. So from a practical nutrition perspective, omega-3 remains important because intake is often inconsistent, while the physiological need does not disappear.

Many people assume eating fish once in a while is enough. From your research, when does supplementation actually make sense?

Eating fish is a very good strategy—but ‘once in a while’ is not the same as consistently reaching the usual target of about two servings of fish per week. Supplementation makes the most sense when seafood intake is low or irregular, when someone avoids fish, follows a vegan diet, wants a more standardized daily intake, or wants to check whether their actual omega-3 status matches what they think they are getting from food. In practice, this is where testing becomes useful: it moves the conversation from assumptions to actual biological status.

Zinzino offers both fish-derived and vegan omega-3. From a biological perspective, do they deliver comparable EPA and DHA? And what’s the price point compared to other oils?

From a biological perspective, the key question is how much EPA and DHA the product delivers—not whether the source is fish or microalgae. In Zinzino’s standard 12 ml serving, BalanceOil+ provides about 2.0 g EPA+DHA (approximately 1.3 g EPA + 0.7 g DHA), while BalanceOil+ Vegan provides about 1.9 g EPA+DHA (approximately 0.8 g EPA + 1.1 g DHA), and with SDA for endogenous production of EPA. So the total long-chain omega-3 delivery is broadly comparable, although the profile differs. The fish-based version is more EPA-forward, while the vegan version is more DHA-forward. That distinction can matter depending on what aspect of omega-3 nutrition you want to emphasize, but both are designed to deliver meaningful amounts of long-chain marine-type omega-3. One challenge with vegan formulations is achieving robust EPA delivery, because many algae oils are naturally more DHA-rich than EPA-rich. 

Our vegan formulation addresses that by combining microalgal oil with Ahiflower® oil, which contains SDA—an omega-3 fatty acid that converts to EPA more efficiently than ALA does. Combined with olive oil, this creates a broader fatty acid strategy than a simple single-source algae oil. From a pricing perspective, vegan omega-3 oils are typically more expensive than standard fish-based omega-3 oils, largely because microalgal EPA/DHA production is still costlier and more technologically controlled. In practice, that means the vegan option is usually positioned as a premium product.

Sustainability is a major concern for our readers. How do you ensure your fish oil sourcing doesn’t contribute to overfishing or marine damage?

Using sustainably sourced, natural ingredients is an essential part of our brand’s core values. We strongly believe that to maintain balance in our body, we also have to respect the balance of the planet and its resources. Our omega-3 supplement is certified by Friend of the Sea, the global certification standard for upholding a sustainable marine environment, Zinzino was first certified by Friend of the Sea in 2018 and we have since maintained our commitment towards sustainability. The fish oils used by Zinzino are derived from short-lived, wild-caught fish, harvested by sustainable fisheries in authorized areas, and following the Friend of the Sea criteria.   

Vegan omega-3 often comes from algae, essentially the original source of marine omega-3. What makes microalgae oil effective compared to plant oils like flax or chia? How do we know that the algae is clean and free from microplastics and PFASs?

Microalgae oil is effective because it provides preformed EPA and DHA directly. By contrast, flax and chia mainly provide ALA, which is nutritionally valuable, but the body converts only a limited amount of ALA into EPA—and very little into DHA. So if the goal is specifically to increase long-chain omega-3 status, microalgae offers a more direct and efficient route. In terms of purity, one important advantage is that microalgae is cultivated in controlled production systems rather than harvested from open marine ecosystems. That gives much tighter control over sourcing, consistency, and raw material quality.

Your formulations combine omega-3 with early-harvest olive polyphenols. This isn’t common in most supplements? What problem does this solve? Or how do you stand out in this regard. 

This solves a real formulation problem: Omega-3s are delicate—they can break down and go rancid pretty easily. So instead of just putting omega-3 into a capsule on its own, we pair it with extra-virgin olive oil that’s rich in natural antioxidants; polyphenols. That way, we’re not simply adding “another oil”—we’re building extra protection right into the blend.

Those olive polyphenols help defend the omega-3s against oxidation, and the olive oil also changes the overall fat environment in a way that’s more supportive than a basic fish oil or algae oil by itself. The goal is simple: help keep these sensitive fatty acids more stable, both in the product and once you’ve taken it. That’s one of the ways our formula stands out. We don’t treat omega-3 as a standalone ingredient—we build it into a more complete fat system designed for stability, function, and context.

Third-party certifications: Friend of the Sea, Informed Sport, Cologne List, The Vegan Society, Halal, GMP, EU and EFSA. Tell us how difficult it is to get some of these certifications. 

Some third-party certifications are relatively straightforward if your documentation is solid and your suppliers are well organized — while others are genuinely demanding because they require ongoing testing, deep traceability, or even regulatory-level scientific evidence. The toughest ones tend to be “continuous-control” programs. Informed Sport is a great example: it’s considered difficult because it typically involves rigorous quality requirements and regular batch testing for banned substances, not just a one-time audit. Cologne List can also be demanding in practice because products are often tested and listed by batch, which means you need consistency and repeat testing to stay current.

Audit- and traceability-based certifications sit in the middle — but can become hard with complex supply chains. Friend of the Sea usually requires strong sourcing transparency and traceability (sometimes through multiple suppliers). GMP can be smooth if your manufacturer already runs a mature quality system — but if not, it can take real work to build the documentation, procedures, training, and audit readiness needed. Ingredient- and process-driven labels are very achievable — as long as you can prove what’s in (and not in) the product. The Vegan Society and Halal typically hinge on ingredient verification, supplier declarations, and preventing cross-contact in production (especially if lines are shared with non-vegan or non-halal materials). They’re very doable, but they get more complex when you have lots of raw materials or shared facilities.

And a quick nuance: “EU and EFSA” aren’t really certifications like the others — they’re regulatory frameworks. If you mean getting an EFSA-backed health claim approved in the EU, that’s usually one of the hardest routes because it requires a formal scientific dossier and a high standard of evidence.

 Fun but honest question: if someone says, “I hate fish and I don’t trust supplements,” – I get my nutrition from eating a kilo of salmon a week. And I buy sardines. Real food is the best. What would you tell them?

If you hate fish but are still heroically eating a kilo of salmon a week and buying sardines, then you are already doing the hard part. Regular intake of oily fish is the gold-standard way to get preformed marine omega-3. That is the ideal, and it is the most natural and biologically complete way to obtain EPA and DHA. So to me, this is not really an argument about food versus supplements. 

The real question is whether a person’s life and habits actually allow them to eat enough quality fish, consistently enough, to reach the blood levels they want. If that works, that is the superior option. If not, a well-designed supplement can help close that gap. And if your relationship with fish is a little on-and-off, it is good to know there are well-designed alternatives— and if you are skeptical, there are blood tests that can tell you whether they are truly effective for you.

How and where do we find your products in America, Canada, Europe and the rest of the world? 

Zinzino’s products are not available for sale in retail stores because better health is personal, and all bodies are unique. Getting individual guidance is critical for a successful outcome. We want to connect with customers directly, build trust, understanding and mutual respect, and offer personalized solutions tailored to meet their specific needs and goals. 

To this end, all our products are sold exclusively through a Zinzino Independent Partner who will join the customers on their health journey. We currently have at least 50 000 working at markets across the globe, and you may find the one nearest you on zinzino.com

Tell us more about the blood sampling and how and if biohackers can get involved? I know people who’d like to share that data. 

The blood sampling is a finger-prick dried blood spot test that can be done at home. The current BalanceTest measures 11 fatty acids, does not require fasting, and you register it online using an anonymous test code. That makes it practical for repeat use and for before-and-after comparisons over time to monitor your body’s response to changes in diet and lifestyle. What makes it interesting to data-driven users is that it does not only report absolute omega-3-related values.

 It also looks at the relationship between different fatty acid groups—for example, the balance between long-chain omega-3s and other fats—and includes calculated markers that help summarize different aspects of fatty acid status. For biohackers, that means it can be used as a structured feedback tool: test, adjust diet or supplementation, and retest after a meaningful interval. If people want to share their data, the important part is that this should be done through a clear, consent-based framework, with appropriate respect for privacy and data handling. That is where personal experimentation can become genuinely useful rather than just anecdotal.

::Zinzino

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Farm To Table Israel is transforming the traditional dining experience into a hands-on journey.

“People want to see and experience where the food comes from,” says Farm To Table owner Yakir Knafo. “I like to introduce guests to the small, ‘romantic’ farms where they get a personal feel for connection to the land.”

And you can hardly get more personal with the land than pulling carrots out of the ground yourself; carrots that you’ll watch a chef cook a little while later for lunch. Or standing under a tree peeling a juicy orange you plucked off a branch a second ago.

An hour in the field is followed two hours of a 7-course meal filled with the genuine flavors of Israeli food. It might be cooked then and there on the farm, to be eaten in the open air. Or you might head back to the Alhambra deli in Jaffa, where Farm To Table Israel guests feast at a communal table. You’ll enjoy a meal that’s as much about storytelling and community as it is about fresh, local flavors, and where every ingredient comes from local sources – even the salt.

Culinary tours include visits to an olive oil press, followed by a meal where every dish features a different local olive oil; or to a vineyard and boutique winery that shows how Israeli wines have gained international recognition. Or a group may visit one of the local dairies. A tour of an apiary and honey tastings in the works for the near future.

Each tour ends with a meal freshly cooked by Yakir and chef Aviel Elbaz, with the participation of any guests who like to cook. There’s a story behind every dish, even behind every ingredient. Guests leave the table enriched with history, a sense of connection with the land, and naturally, the lingering wellbeing that’s the gift of a delectable meal shared with friends.

Related: Ada’s home-roasted coffee in Jaffa

And that’s just one of the culinary experiences offered by Farm To Table Israel. Groups can also book hands-on cooking workshops for groups of friends and for business groups on a day out. Workshop themes include pickling and fermentation, seasonal cooking, and making pasta. Yakir told us that they will create a workshop focused on a special theme too, if requested.

Then there’s Alhambra, the Jaffa base for Farm To Table’s culinary workshops. It’s a café by day and wine bar by night, as well as a delicatessen offering Israeli gourmet specialties.

All of this was born of Yakir and Aviel’s vision to make food the connection between people and the land. Yakir has an enormous love of nature, the farmer, and the goodness of Israel’s sustainable foods. His enthusiasm overflows in spontaneous talk as visitors harvest, cook, and eat together.

Jaffa, close to Tel Aviv, is the mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood where Alhambra operates, and where Yakir lives with his family. He interacts comfortably with close-by Arab businesses:

“We live together, after all. I get fish from Ibrahim, orange juice from Salem, and kitchen equipment from Abu Avram. We respect each other,” he says. His voice softens as he says that seaside Jaffa is very much like the Moroccan port town of Essaouira, where his grandfather was chief rabbi.

Alhambra is kosher under rabbinical supervision, dairy/fish. The partners offer cooking workshops there, but a group may also book a workshop near home.

::Farm To Table
::Deli Alhambra 
30 Jerusalem Blvd., Tel Aviv
+972 523 255 370

Traveling to Jaffa in the near future?

Read our green guide to Jaffa

The post Farm To Table Israel Connects People To The Land appeared first on Green Prophet.

This week, Israel’s precision-fermentation milk from Remilk is finally appearing on supermarket shelves. Staff members have been posting photos in Hebrew, smiling, tasting, and clearly enjoying the moment — not because it’s science fiction, but because it tastes like the real thing.

Remilk doesn’t come from cows. It uses microorganisms programmed to produce the same milk proteins found in dairy. The result is real milk protein — without the animal.

Why does that matter? Because traditional dairy is one of the most resource-intensive foods we produce. It requires land, water, feed, antibiotics, and creates methane emissions. Precision-fermented milk needs far less land, far less water, and produces dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Why many scientists say cloned (fermented) milk is better:

• No cows → no methane emissions that cause climate change
• No antibiotics or hormones
• Much lower land and water use
• Identical proteins → same taste and texture
• Suitable for people with lactose intolerance (depending on formulation)
• Stable, scalable, and climate-resilient

It doesn’t mean traditional dairy and the taste of brie disappears tomorrow. But it offers a serious alternative in a world facing climate pressure, food security concerns, and ethical debates about industrial farming.

Israel has become a global leader in this field, alongside companies working on cultivated meat, egg proteins, and cheese alternatives. What once sounded futuristic is now simply… food. How do you say mooooo in Hebrew?

The post Remilk makes cloned milk so cows don’t need to suffer and it’s hormone-free appeared first on Green Prophet.

If make carrot juice and wonder what to do with all the carrot waste? Maybe turn it into mushrooms? A new study published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry points to a clear opportunity for mushroom growers—commercial and hobby alike: using carrot processing waste as a substrate to grow high-value fungal mycelium for alternative protein.

Researchers investigated whether carrot side streams, generated during the production of natural food colorants, could support edible fungi growth. After screening 106 fungal strains, they identified Pleurotus djamor (pink oyster mushroom) as the most efficient, producing strong biomass growth and high protein content when cultivated on carrot residues.

Rather than growing fruiting bodies, the researchers focused on harvesting mycelium. This approach is especially relevant for growers, as mycelium production typically requires less space, shorter production cycles, and more controlled conditions than traditional mushroom cultivation.

According to the study, the resulting mycelium protein showed biological values comparable to both animal and plant proteins, while remaining low in fat and rich in fiber. As the authors note:

“The biological value of the mycelial protein was comparable to that of animal- and plant-based proteins.”

To test market potential, the mycelium was incorporated into vegan patties and sausages. In blind taste tests, participants consistently preferred products made with 100% mycelium over soy-based alternatives, citing better taste and aroma.

Related: How to make mushroom paper

The researchers emphasize the broader implications for sustainable food production: “Utilizing side streams as substrate for mycelium production reduces environmental impact while adding value and supports food security.”

For mushroom growers, this research highlights a scalable, circular model: low-cost or discarded vegetable side streams become feedstock for a premium protein ingredient. It opens the door to partnerships with food processors, diversification beyond fresh mushroom sales, and entry into the fast-growing alternative protein market—without requiring entirely new cultivation expertise.

As demand rises for sustainable proteins that perform well on taste, mycelium grown on agricultural side streams may offer growers a rare combination of efficiency, profitability, and environmental benefit.

The post Carrot Waste Could Be Your Next Oyster Substrate –– Mycelium Protein Beats Soy in Taste Tests appeared first on Green Prophet.

This is a luxurious recipe that requires a taste for exotic flavors, and willingness to see it through its stages. It’s based on the dark meat of chicken, not an expensive ingredient, yet makes a luscious, aromatic, festive dish. With fried onions, almonds and raisins to garnish, it’s divine; a savory feast with little pops of sweetness from the raisins, piled onto a platter of golden rice.

Mandi expresses the sensuous craft of Middle Eastern cooks who take traditional ingredients to their fullest delicious potential. For the adventurous Western cook, it’s worth buying the spices needed here, not only for this one recipe, but because once you’ve savored them, you’ll want to cook with them again and again.

Start by assembling the spices for the Hawaij spice blend (ingredients listed below). Toast them briefly in a dry skillet, then crush them to a powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Marinate the chicken pieces in a paste of Hawaij, turmeric, salt and olive oil. Leave the well-massaged chicken in the fridge overnight optimally – although in a pinch, 1 hour will do.

About 2 hours before you intend to serve, proceed to the next stages. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the instructions: they’re all simple steps. Follow the recipe in the order laid out below for greatest ease.

You will need an electric spice grinder; if none available, use powdered spices (not traditional but more realistic ); a skillet, a large pot, and a rack that fits into the pot for steaming the chicken. The author suggest using a wire trivet such as those that come with instant pots, if no other rack available. You’ll also need a baking tray and if possible, a rack to fit over it.

Now serve this luscious dish to people you love.

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Dragon fruit used to feel like a traveler’s fruit, something you’d find in a far east market that sells Pad Thai and bags of pickled grasshoppers, eaten with a stick.  Now it’s turning up everywhere. I see it stacked neatly in Canadian and American supermarkets, tucked into smoothies in California cafés, and increasingly in Eastern Mediterranean markets where it once felt exotic and rare. It has been turning up in our weekly CSA box and my daughter asks for them now as much as my son wants apples.

It looks beautiful, with tiny kiwi-like seeds on the inside, its taste somewhat bland in comparison. You’ll find the insides in a shocking hot pink, white or yellow. So yeah –– part of its appeal is visual. Dragon fruit looks like it was designed by a poet with a sense of humor. But it’s the inside that matters, and that’s where this fruit earns its place as a superfruit.

Dragon fruit is also known by several other names depending on where you encounter it. In much of the US and Latin America it’s commonly called pitaya or pitahaya, terms you’ll often see used interchangeably with dragon fruit on market labels. Botanically, the fruit comes from a cactus sometimes referred to as night-blooming cereus, a nod to the plant’s dramatic flowers that open after dark. Older or poetic names like strawberry pear, belle of the night, or queen of the night still appear occasionally, though today dragon fruit and pitaya are the names most shoppers recognize.

Dragon fruit is rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while staying low in calories. It’s one of those foods that manages to feel indulgent while doing something genuinely useful for the body. Like cucumbers.

The deep red and pink varieties contain healthful betalains and flavonoids, compounds that help neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation. These antioxidants are linked to lower risks of chronic diseases, including heart disease and certain cancers. Vitamin C adds another layer of immune support, especially welcome in winter months when fresh fruit choices can feel limited.

Fiber is where dragon fruit really shines. It contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, which means it helps digestion in more than one way. Insoluble fiber keeps things moving, while soluble fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria, strengthening digestion and immunity from the inside out. People watching blood sugar levels often appreciate dragon fruit for the same reason; fiber slows sugar absorption and may help reduce insulin resistance over time.

There’s also a quiet mineral richness here. Magnesium supports muscle function and sleep. Calcium and phosphorus contribute to bone health. Iron, especially when paired with vitamin C, supports oxygen flow in the body. None of this is flashy, but together it makes dragon fruit feel like a thoughtful food, one that supports the body without demanding attention.

I like dragon fruit most when it’s not overworked. Fresh slices in half with a squeeze of lime and a spoon to dig it out are enough. But one recipe surprised me, and it’s now become a favorite way to serve it to guests who think they already know this fruit.

Can you cook dragon fruit?

Take ripe red dragon fruit and cut it into thick cubes. Toss gently with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of flaky salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Roast it briefly in a hot oven, just until the edges caramelize slightly. Let it cool, then scatter over labneh or thick Greek yogurt. Finish with cracked black pepper, fresh mint, and a few toasted pumpkin seeds. The heat deepens the fruit’s sweetness, the salt pulls it into savory territory, and suddenly dragon fruit feels less like a smoothie ingredient and more like a grown-up dish.

Perhaps that’s why it’s showing up more often now. As markets globalize and palates mature, we’re learning to see familiar foods in new ways. Dragon fruit no longer feels like a novelty.

The post Dragon fruit health benefits appeared first on Green Prophet.

Imagine a pancake stuffed with sweet cheese. You may dream that the pancake’s filled with nuts, instead. Then imagine it was drizzled with perfumed syrup while still warm. Garnish it, in your dream, with pistachios and whipped cream. You’re dreaming of qatayef, the fabulous, fabled, Arabian dessert.

Qatayef – also spelled katayif or qatya’if – is traditionally eaten at Ramadan (get our Ramadan vegetarian ideas here), but it’s a treat anytime. In fact, it’s a treat that’s gone through history.

A recipe for qatayif appears in a tenth century Arabic cookbook by the writer Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, who compiled recipes going back to the eighth and ninth centuries. People have been eating qatayif for a very long time.

The filled pancakes are still popular in the Middle East. All over the Levant, people buy qatayif from bakeries and pastry shops, or pick some up from street vendors. They can even buy them frozen and ready to fry at home. So can you; if not at a local Middle Eastern grocery store, then online.

But there’s nothing like home-made, although it does take some time and patience. Plan to cook qatayif on a free morning, or when you need to put your mind on something with gratifying results.

First, make the batter. Choose a nut stuffing or a sweet cheese one (recipes below). Or halve each recipe and have both kinds.

Eat, and drift off to qatayif heaven.

Photos by Laila Ibrahim via Serious Eats.

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Souk El Tayeb in Beirut has always been more than a farmers’ market. It is a small miracle in the heart of Lebanon—a community place where farmers, cooks, refugees, artisans, and city dwellers gather around the simple idea that food can heal a country.

Founded in Beirut during a time of deep political strains, Souk El Tayeb became a meeting place where sect, class, and region dissolve into the shared pleasure of tasting ripe tomatoes, kneaded manousheh, or warm kebbeh made by someone whose village you may have only heard about.

What makes Souk El Tayeb remarkable is not only its insistence on local, seasonal produce, but its belief that dignity and sustainability must go hand in hand. Farmers are paid fairly. Villages are uplifted. Traditional recipes are kept alive not as nostalgia but as knowledge systems: real food is carbon-light, waste-free, and is adapted to the land.

In a region where instability and terror threatens the smallest things, Souk El Tayeb remains defiantly hopeful, stitching Lebanon back together one shared meal at a time.(Related: The Pope was just visiting Lebanon uplifting the spirits even more).

And now Lebanon prepared for Eid el-Barbara, a celebration as rooted in the soil as in faith, it’s like a kind of Halloween, but gentler. As Souk El Tayeb writers described it: “It tells the story of Barbara (Saint Barbara), a pious Christian in Roman times, whose father, the pagan ruler of Baalbek, wanted to kill her for her forbidden Christian beliefs. It’s celebrated December 5 in the Middle East, and December 17 in Europe.

“To escape him, she disguised herself (hello costumes!) and ran through bare fields that miraculously grew into tall wheat to hide her as she fled.”

To remember the miracle of the wheat, families cook amhiyeh and atayef, and children plant soaked wheat, beans, or lentils on beds of cotton.

By Christmas, the sprouts become a soft green carpet for the nativity scene, the مغارة الميلاد.

This ritual also exists in Provence, where wheat is planted on Sainte-Barbe’s Day. Lebanon, France, and a shared tradition of sprouting hope in the darkest month of the year.

Another tradition is eating qatayef, a stuffed cookie, which is also eaten at Ramadan.

Eid il-Burbara or Saint Barbara’s Day, and also called the Feast of Saint Barbara, is a holiday annually celebrated on 17 December or 4 December amongst Middle Eastern Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Turkey. It is also celebrated as Barbaroba amongst Christians in Georgia.

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Candy, vinegar, and zero waste explained using orange peels

Winter is citrus season, and the markets are full of golden oranges. Don’t even try to resist them. What could be more heavenly than the sweetness of a good orange? As juice, in salads, cooked with chicken or fish, or eaten out of hand, oranges are delicious, and provide a good hit of vitamin C as well.

Related: make a natural sell-good candle with orange peels

If you’re dedicated to zero waste in your kitchen, you might find yourself frustrated with all those squeezed-out oranges. What can you do with them? Compost them if you can, but if that’s not an option, here are five culinary ways to get the goodness in their peels. Naturally, pesticide-free fruit is what you want.

The first thing is to remove the rind by peeling or grating before doing anything else to the fruit. Much easier, and safer, than handling a slippery, squeezed half-orange.

1. Make orange and basil infused vinegar. The ingredients are one orange, a large handful of fresh, clean basil leaves, and apple cider vinegar. Have a clean, dry jar at hand. Peel the rind of one orange into strips, avoiding the white pith. A vegetable peeler works well for this. Stuff the orange strips into the jar. Add the basil to the jar and pour vinegar over all. Stir the contents carefully to release any air bubbles. Cap the jar, store it away in the dark, and wait two days. A week is even better.

You can strain the infused vinegar if you want, or just leave it all in. I like to leave the peel and basil in, letting the flavor improve over time.

2. Make candied peel. That’s a sugary seasonal treat. It makes great gifts, if you can keep it around long enough. The procedure is simple; it’s just a little tedious. You use the whole peel in candying, pith and all, which requires boiling the peel three times, in order to get rid of the bitterness. But it’s worth the time if you love candied peel. There are plenty of instructions out there. Lemons, limes, and grapefruit also make great candied peel.

Quick Instructions for Candied Citrus Peel

Prep the peel: Slice the peel into strips, using the whole thing—zest, pith, and all. Boil out the bitterness: Boil the peel in water, drain, and repeat three times. This removes the harsh bitterness from the pith. Simmer the boiled peel in a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) until translucent. Remove, let dry slightly, then toss in sugar. Let the strips dry fully. Store in an airtight container—if you can resist eating them. They make beautiful, tasty gifts.

Works with oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit.

3. Cook up orange rice pudding. Use our rice pudding recipe and simply stir in the grated peel of a whole orange instead of the rose petals.

4. Dry the peel for cooking, as the French and many Oriental cooks do. It adds an alluring deep flavor to stews. Peel one or two oranges thinly and set the peel to dry. Clementines are good too, and are easy to peel. Some draw thread through the peel and hang it up to dry. I just lay the pieces down on a thin towel and put it in an out-of-the way corner, turning it over every few days.

How soon it dries depends on the weather and the ambient moisture. The peel will be brittle when thoroughly dry. You can snap pieces off with your fingers. It will last years, stored in glass in a dark place. I love to tuck a few pieces of dried orange peel here and there in a beef or chicken tajine.

Most people don’t identify the flavor as orange unless they get a piece in their stew. It’s not tart and bright like fresh orange; it’s a little musky.

5. Make orange vodka. It couldn’t be simpler. Pour out about a half-cup of vodka from a new bottle and set it aside for some other use. Peel an orange. Cut the rind into thin strips (any size) and cram them into the bottle. All the peel should be covered with vodka. If needed, top up the liquid with the vodka you’d set aside. Let the vodka infuse for three weeks. To serve, strain the vodka and dilute it with simple syrup. Add fizzy soda water to lighten the drink, if you like.

Bonus recipe: simple syrup is 50% water and 50% white sugar, boiled together 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Cool and store in the fridge. It lasts forever.

Citrus peels can be frozen in any shape and have many uses. Store frozen grated orange or lemon peel in a small container. Add a tablespoon to the batter of quick bread, muffins, pancakes, or more elaborate yeast pastries. Or stir a little into tea.

At the moment I’m freezing all my squeezed-out lemon halves to accumulate enough for candying. Although I might thaw out one to tuck into the cavity of a roasting chicken.

Another delicious way to use orange peel is letting a piece steep in hot, sweetened red wine for 5 minutes. What could be cozier on a dark winter’s evening?

Photo of candied orange peel via Daring Gourmet.

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