The crew at TABLE Magazine spent a wonderful day with Chef Jamilka Borges recently, learning so much from her light, bright, and flavorful way with veggies. She showed us how to make a gorgeous, lime-infused cucumber salad, and a deeply delicious crispy sweet potato dish. Along the way, she liked the look of some fresh Japanese eggplants we bought at a local farmstead, and invented a third dish on the spot!
Cucumber Salad Recipe
INGREDIENTS
4 mini cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt
½ cup lime juice
1 red onion, thinly shave
1 tsp fennel pollen
Basil
Mint
Cilantro
Pea tendrils
Nasturtiums
Olive Oil for drizzle
Candied pistachios for garnish
For the pistachios:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
1/4 tsp paprika, smoked
1 1/2 cups pistachios, raw
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small oven-safe sauté pan, heat oil on medium heat and cook pistachios for five minutes to release natural oils.
- While warm, toss with the sugar, place pan uncovered in a 325-degree oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Cool at room temperature.
For the salad:
- Toss the cucumbers with lime juice and a pinch of salt.
- Add the Aleppo to the yogurt and make a “pool” on the bottom of a plate, arrange the cucumbers, onions, herbs and dust with fennel pollen.
- Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the pistachios.
Crispy Sweet Potatoes Recipe
INGREDIENTS
4 Japanese sweet potatoes
3 Morita chilies
4 tbsp grapeseed oil
½ cup crème fraîche (2 cups heavy cream + 2 tbsp cultured buttermilk, cover and let sit overnight)
Lime juice
Kosher salt
1 oz smoked trout roe or preferred roe
Canola or blended oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven at 375 degrees. After scrubbing sweet potatoes, place them in a rack and bake for 45 minutes or until soft. Do not add any fat or salt.
- In the meantime, heat a sauté pan and toast the chilies for 30 seconds, you’ll be able to smell them. Add your oil and bring to 125 degrees then let sit for 30 minutes.
- Puree the mix in a Vitamix and strain through a chinois sieve or cheesecloth. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Let cool.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done, tear them into 2-inch pieces making sure to keep the skin on. Let cool down in the fridge without covering. The idea is to let them dry as much as possible.
- For the cream simply mix ½ cup of fraîche with 2 tbsp of Morita oil, add a splash of limejuice, and a little salt.
- Get your frying oil hot 350 degrees, with slotted spoon drop your sweet potatoes in small batches until golden brown and crispy about 4 to 5 minutes.
Season with salt and black pepper. Top with crème fraîche and generous spoonful of smoked trout roe. - Garnish with sweet basil or cilantro.
Improv Eggplant Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Head of cabbage
Japanese eggplants
Squash
Olive oil
Salt
Sweet and spicy pepper
1 cup of yogurt
1-2 cloves of garlic
Onion, minced
Thyme
Black pepper
Lime juice
Greens
Lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice a fresh cabbage into 1/2” thick “steaks.” Slice eggplants 1/4” thick. Brush both sides of all slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Steam and mash your favorite squash. Season with olive oil, salt and that sweet and spicy pepper from France, pigment d’Espelette.
- Combine a cup of yogurt, a clove or two of garlic, some minced onion and thyme, salt, black pepper, lime juice and olive oil into a dressing.
- Grill the cabbage and eggplant.
- Place a cabbage slice on a plate, top with mashed squash and grilled eggplant, and slather with yogurt dressing. Garnish with fresh, young greens and a squeeze of lime or lemon.
Recipe by Chef Jamilka Borges / Styling by Rafe Vencio / Photography by Dave Bryce
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