Muhammara with Roasted Vegetables

This has got to be one of my all time favorite dishes. It is rich, earthy and bright, and can be made in any season by switching up the vegetables. In summer I might go for long, light purplish eggplants paired with summer squash and romano beans, while in the fall I love using farmer’s market carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. To make it heartier, add sweet or regular potatoes to the mix. Traditionally muhammara is a roasted red pepper sauce originating in Syria; here it has some new tweaks.

Serves 4

Roasted Red Peppers - 1-16oz. Jar
Sliced Almonds - 2 cups, toasted
Garlic - 1 clove
Smoked Paprika - 1/2 tsp.
Ground Cumin - 1 tsp.
Salt - 1 tsp.
Lemons Juice - from one lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 3/4 cup
Carrots - 1 bunch small carrots - preferably from the farmers market
Broccoli - 3 crowns
Romano Beans (or Green Beans) - 1/2# - stem end cut off.
EVO
Salt
Cilantro - few leaves for garnish
Toasted Sesame Seeds - 1 TB

First step - make the muhammara. This sauce can be made up to two days in advance. Simply bring to room temperature before serving. Combine the almonds and garlic in a Cuisinart. Puree for one minute until smooth. Add the red peppers, paprika, cumin, and salt. Puree one minute more. Add the lemon juice. While the machine is running, add the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste. It may need more salt, lemon juice, or oil depending on how bright or how rich you like it. Remove to a bowl.

Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 450. Leave the romano beans whole, but cut the carrots and the broccoli into large bite sized pieces. I like cutting the carrots irregular shapes (oblique cut), which gives them more surface area to get a little char on them. As for the broccoli, it looks nice to leave them long but don’t include too much stem.

Toss the vegetables a bowl with enough olive oil to coat and season with salt, 2-3 teaspoons. Lay in a single layer on a sheet tray and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, rotating a few times, until you get a nice amount of char on each side.

Plate up! On a large platter, spread a thick layer of muhammara in a circle. Pile the vegetables on top. Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, cilantro leaves, and swirl of olive oil.