how2heroes » Heirloom Tomato Kibbeh

Print Recipe

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups tomato, grated, with pulp & seeds (2 large heirlooms)
1 green bell pepper, finely minced
½ sweet red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 scallion, finely minced
1 tbsp red pepper paste or 1 tsp harissa
2 tsp ground cumin
5-6 mint leaves, finely chopped
¾ tsp Aleppo chilies or sweet paprika
1¼ cups fine bulgur
½ cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp
6 small brandy wine or yellow heirloom tomatoes
1½ cups labne
1 lemon, cut into 6 big wedges to squeeze

How-to

Place grated tomato, green pepper, red pepper, sweet red onion, scallion, pepper paste, cumin, mint leaves and chilies in a bowl. Whisk together. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir in fine bulgur and ½ cup olive oil and let sit 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally
Prepare a medium-size mixing bowl with ice water
In a medium-size saucepan, bring water to a boil on high heat. Make an X with a small paring knife in each of the 6 yellow or small brandy wine tomatoes. Drop them in boiling water for 20 seconds or until you see skin peel back from tomato. Using a slotted spoon or sieve, remove tomatoes from water and plunge into bowl of ice water. Remove skins
Cut each tomato in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Salt each tomato lightly and allow to sit for a few minutes, cut side down, to get rid of some of the water. Select 6 beautiful halves for stuffing and finely mince other 6 halves. Chop minced tomatoes until start to form a paste. Place over a sieve and let drain 10 minutes to lose some of their water. Place tomato concassé in a small mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside
In a small bowl, season labne with salt and pepper. Stuff each reserved tomato half with 3-4 tbsp labne
To serve, spread kibbeh in a round shape on a plate, top with a couple of tablespoons of tomato concassé, some lightly dressed greens, and stuffed tomato half. Serve with lemon

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Ana Sortun

Ana Sortun is a James Beard Award Winner and the Chef/Owner of Oleana restaurant where she works culinary wonders with eastern Mediterranean spices as well as farm fresh ingredients grown on her husband, Chris Kurth's Siena Farms. You can also visit Ana's Sofra Bakery, which offers unique food and baked goods inspired by Turkey, Lebanon, and Greece. Her cookbook, Spices: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, received a nomination for Best International Cookbook.

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