CHARRED CABBAGE WITH ARTICHOKE TAHINI AND TAMARIND

(Serves 8)

2 heads purple cabbage

1 cup artichoke tahini

1/2 cup tamarind sauce

2 TBL za’atar (or spice condiment of choice)

ARTICHOKE-SESAME TAHINI

14oz jar of artichokes, rinsed

75g sesame seed (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 cup olive oil

50(ish)g lemon juice (1 plump lemon)

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Dry toast white sesame seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Rinse jarred artichokes to remove any excess pre-packaged marinade and blot dry with a paper towel. In a food processor or VitaPrep, combine artichokes, sesame seeds, non-dairy milk (we use an unscented coconut milk, but use whatever you’ve got), lemon juice, vinegar, and salt, and blend until smooth. In a steady stream, slowly incorporate olive oil and tahini is thick but silky smooth. Keep refrigerated up to a week.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small sauce pot, combine all ingredients for the tamarind sauce and bring to a near boil. Cut heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until reduced by half. Sauce should be looser than ketchup but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

Quarter the cabbages, leaving the core intact, and place on a sheet tray. Rub generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 40 minutes. You want the cabbage to be cooked through but to retain some crunch in the innermost layers (this is a fork and knife dish), and the outer leaves to be crispy and charred. If you have a top broiler, broil on high for 5-8 min to finish the cooking. This dish can be served warm or room temp. 

For plating, spread a healthy schmear of the tahini (about 2 Tablespoons) across the base of the plate, placing the cabbage in the center, and drizzle with the tamarind sauce. Top with za’atar, dukkah, or other textured crumble of choice. 

TAMARIND SAUCE

8oz tamarind concentrate (1 cup; 240g)

3/4 cup h2o

3/4 cup sugar (150g)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cumin 

1/2 tsp salt (2g)

Yield: about 1 cup

This is a super versatile sweet-n-sour (agrodolce) condiment that lasts for weeks in the fridge. You can find tamarind concentrate at any Asian grocery store or Whole Foods. We always keep a jar of this on hand. It’s a wonderful ingredient to add a sweet brightness and acidity to a dish or to use as a base for a flavorful and zippy salad dressing. Think of it like a spiced balsamic reduction.