TUNISIA: THE FOOD

So, I finally got a new vehicle. I was afraid that my old one was having transmission issues and it was discontinued anyway. So, I ended up opting for a brand new vehicle. Like, it had 22 miles on it when I got home. I’ve never had a brand new one, just ones that are a few years old. I’m still in sticker shock, but now maybe we can go check out some state parks while staying away from people.

I thought this was a tasty sandwich, even worthy of breakfast.

But today is not that day. Today is Father’s Day for one, and today is also a day for making Tunisian food! I started out making Fricassee. I’ve always thought fricassee is a different kind of meal, but this is different. It starts out with stirring together 1 ½ packets of yeast, about ½ c of water, and 1 Tbsp of flour together and let it sit for about 10 minutes until it was frothy. Then I added in 3 ¼ c of flour, 1 egg, 3 Tbsp oil, and a little bit of salt. I mixed it together and after I got it to the right consistency (I had to add a little more water and flour), I formed it into small oval-shaped buns and let it rise until it was doubled in size (about an hour?). Then I heated some oil in a skillet and fried them until they were golden. Once they cooled, I slit them open lengthways and filled them with tuna, Israeli salad (diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, and feta cheese topped with a lemon juice/olive oil mixture with a bit of salt and pepper), hummus, and hard boiled eggs. I really liked this sandwich. My husband was sort of meh about it because he thought it would be better on a thinner bread. (But he loved the Israeli salad, though!) I thought it was like a fancy tuna salad sandwich, but the kids were also indifferent to it. Hm.

The green harissa sauce really made the dish. I love this stuff so much.

The main dish today is Tunisian Tagine, Couscous, and Green Harissa Sauce. This dish was originally made with chicken, but I opted for the vegetarian version today. In a large pot, I heated a bit of oil and added in two cans of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans, it’s the same thing) and some cauliflower that I broke up into small pieces. I sauteed them for a few minutes and then sprinkled it with a bit of salt, pepper, chili powder and sauteed it for another minute. Then I added in some diagonally sliced carrots and onions to the pot and let it saute until the onions were soft before adding in some minced garlic and ginger (I had to use ground). I kept sauteeing this for a few minutes. Then it came time to add in my spices: cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and caraway seeds. After they have sauteed for a minute, it was time for the salt, sugar, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, some chopped dried apricots, and a bit more water. I brought it all to a simmer and stirred it a bit. Once it was simmering, I stirred in the couscous and mixed it into the vegetables and spices. Because I had instant couscous on hand, I skipped putting it in the oven for 15 minutes, I just kept it on the stove for about 10 minutes (which I forgot to turn my heat down and the bottom scorched a bit). While that was simmering, I made the harissa sauce. I placed some fresh parsley, garlic, and a jalapeño (with seeds removed for a milder heat level) into a blender and blended it until it was well processed (I added a bit of water, but then I realized I added a bit too much). I placed this into a bowl and added in a bit of plain yogurt along with a bit of paprika, ground coriander, and salt and stirred well. Once it was done simmering, I took it off the heat, garnished it with mint leaves, and served with the green harissa sauce. I actually thought this was really tasty and filling, a great vegetarian dish full of flavor. No one else had the same opinion. It ranged from “I don’t like the chickpeas” to “It was alright” to “Bye.” Everyone’s a critic.

I think I drank too much of this. So, so good.

Finally, I made a drink called Tunisian Citronnade that is perfect for this hot summer day. I peeled and deseeded about five lemons, sliced them into quarters and put them in a large bowl with a bunch of sugar and let it sit in the fridge for 4-6 hours. Then I took some of those lemons (with some of that syrup that formed) in a couple batches and blended them with some water and strained it into a pitcher. Then I took the juice of half an orange (in lieu of orange blossom water) and muddled a handful of mint leaves in it a bit. I added the orange juice and mint leaves to the lemonade and stirred everything together. The second batch didn’t get quite as blended as the first, so it was a little pulpy over all. I couldn’t taste the orange at all, but the mint was a nice addition. (Imma bout to add some tequila to it in a bit.)

I thought this was fantastic, even if I was in the minority on that opinion.

So, I was thinking about today’s youth while I was chopping vegetables. I wrote about how Tunisian youth are setting up their own radio programs to address issues that affect them. They’re taking control of things they can, and effecting change where they can. They’re voicing their opinions and learning the art of defending their position. Last night I read how a bunch of teens reserved tickets for the Trump rally today, but they had no intentions of going. There were huge sections filled with empty seats, and the venue was only about a third full to hear his racist rhetoric. Teens and twenty-somethings are going to take over this world and are determined to be heard. So, here’s a high-five to the tech-savvy teens out there making the world listen, fighting to good fight, and bringing us all together. I see you.

Up next: Turkey