Roasted Seasonal Vegetables with Labneh & Zhoug
Roasted Seasonal Vegetables with Labneh & Zhoug
Emily C. Swantner
Servings: 6
I served this brightly colored dish of hot spices, sweet vegetables and the cool soothingness of yogurt cheese for my inaugural Supper Club Middle Eastern Feast in September of 2010.
Zhoug is a spicy relish from Yemen that can be used as a dip, sauce or, when mixed with more olive oil and lemon juice, as a marinade for chicken or lamb.
To drain yogurt, put a fine-mesh sieve over a deep bowl. Line the sieve with a piece of cheesecloth, add the yogurt, cover with the ends of the cheesecloth and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The yogurt will drain the excess moisture leaving you with a firmer mixture, a bit like softened cream cheese.
FOR THE LABNEH:
2 cups Greek-style thick yogurt, drained overnight to make yogurt cheese
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press
kosher salt and milled black pepper
FOR THE ZHOUG:
6 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and stems
½ small bunch parsley, leaves and stems
3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more for desired consistency
kosher salt and milled black pepper
extra virgin olive oil, as necessary
FOR THE VEGETABLES:
1 medium-large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch rounds, then each round cut into quarters
1 each red, yellow and orange bell pepper, halved, deseeded, and each half cut into four broad strips
1 large red onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch julienned slices
2 yellow summer squash, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch rounds
1 container multi-colored cherry tomatoes, stemmed
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and milled black pepper
crumbled feta cheese, to serve
Method
FOR THE LABNEH:
In a bowl, mix together the yogurt and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.
FOR THE ZHOUG:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend to a paste, leaving a little texture. It should be the texture of Italian pesto with a bit more texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Zhoug can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Top with a very thin film of olive oil before storing.
FOR THE VEGETABLES:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line two rimmed sheet pans with foil for easy clean-up. Put the eggplant on one pan, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Put in the oven and roast for 35 to 45 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. You do not want the eggplant to be spongy. Remove it from the oven and transfer it to a serving platter.
On the second sheet pan, put the bell peppers at one end, the red onion in the middle and the squash at the other end. Put in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, turning the vegetables once. Scoot the vegetables over to make room for the cherry tomatoes. Put the cherry tomatoes on one end, put back in the oven and roast another 10 minutes or so. You want a little texture in vegetables, so do not overcook them. Remove from the oven and layer them beginning with the eggplant, the bell peppers, then the onions, the yellow squash, then the tomatoes. Let cool slightly. Spoon a little lebneh randomly over the vegetables, then a bit of Zhoug and top with crumbled feta cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.