Recipe Corner: Recipes from the Collections of Fowler’s St. Gregory Church from the Grapevine Cookbook

1 large tomato, sliced

Salt, pepper and Accent to taste

1 can or less tomato sauce

Olive oil

Preparation:

Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices. You want uniform pieces so they bake evenly. Sprinkle each slice with salt and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to remove the water. Drain and dry with kitchen paper.

Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and bake on a baking tray in a hot oven (450º) until lightly browned.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions, bell pepper, garlic and herbs. Do not cook too long, only until it has wilted. Add the parsley and tomato sauce and cook for a few more minutes. Arrange eggplant slices in a prepared baking pan and pour tomato sauce over everything. Bake in a 375º oven for about 30 minutes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Lenten Kufta – by Marge Esraelian

A meatless kufta with a unique blend of flavors.

Filling:

1 18 oz. jar of coarse peanut butter

6 medium onions, chopped

1/2 to 3/4 jar (16 oz.) tahini

2 1/2 cups walnuts, ground

1 large bunch Armenian parsley, finely chopped

Olive oil

Outside Shell:

6 cans garbanzo beans, washed, drained, ground

2 1/2 cups fine bulgur

1 1/4 cups regular Cream of Wheat

3 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Spices:

Lemon juice

Bell pepper or cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

Filling: Saute onions in 1/4 cup oil until wilted; remove from stove and let cool. Squeeze the moisture from the onions with kitchen paper. Combine the peanut butter, tahini, walnuts, parsley, onions, and spices in a large bowl. If the mixture is too dry, add a little hot water. Gently mix or knead the filling for a few minutes and make the filling balls (about the size of a walnut). Place them on a baking tray and let them cool in the fridge.

Outside: Combine and knead the outer shell ingredients; use a little hot water to make a workable dough. Press down the center and sides and twist until you get a thin shell. Make an indentation in the center with your thumb and continue opening and shaping with your index and middle fingers. Place a walnut-sized ball of filling in the center and gently cover the filling with the outer shell. Finally, smooth the surface with wet fingers, making sure the kufta is flat at the bottom and slightly rounded at the top.

Place the formed kufta on a wax paper-lined tray or plate and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add some salt and about 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Remove kufta from the refrigerator; cook in small batches for about 10 minutes until all the kufta is cooked and rises to the top. Cool kufta for a few minutes; rub with a little oil and sprinkle with paprika or cayenne pepper and serve.

Also see: Peanut Butter Kufteh – a unique fasting recipe of the Women’s Guild of St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina at: https://thearmeniankitchen.com/peanut-butter-kufteh-unique-lenten/

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ORDER TODAY:

Released in 2020, the fourth printing of Collections of the Grapevine is available for $25.00 each plus shipping. Mail check to: St. Gregory Ladies Society, PO Box 246, Fowler, CA 93625.

For information or a contribution, please contact:

St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church

PO Box 246

Fowler, CA 93625

Office: (559) 834-2919
Fax: (559) 834-1960

http://www.stgregoryfowler.com/

© 2022 by St. Gregory Armenian Church Fowler