Eggplant and Zucchini Carpaccio

Carpaccio is a term for very thin slices of raw beef or fish, but this is a vegetarian option that is packed with an explosion of flavors and textures. Serve it with fresh bread so you can just scoop up the carpaccio and eat it like a dip. Barberries are difficult to find, so you can substitute dried cherries or cranberries, but chop them up first. If you don’t have date syrup, you can substitute pomegranate molasses or honey. Za’atar is a middle eastern spice mix that you should really seek out, but you can season the yogurt with dried oregano instead. So, basically, I’ve given you a recipe you can tweak and change to make your own!

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Ingredients

Serves 6 (appetizer portions)

Carpaccio: 

• 2 eggplant (preferably the long skinny Japanese variety)

• 2 zucchini

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/3 cup hummus (recipe follows)

• 1/3 cup whole milk yogurt

• 1/2 teaspoon za’atar

• 2 tablespoons date syrup

• 2 tablespoons dried barberries

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

• 2 tablespoons pistachios, shelled, toasted, and roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Hummus (Makes 3 Cups):

• 2 cups dried chickpeas

• 1 onion, peeled and cut in half

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/3 cup tahini

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons salt

• olive oil

Process

Carpaccio:

Prepare the hummus and put 1/3 cup into a bowl. Put yogurt into a small bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the za’atar. Mix and set aside with the hummus bowl.

You can assemble the carpaccio on one large platter to serve as an appetizer or assemble on individual small plates. In either case, lay out the eggplant and zucchini alternatively on the plate, crossing in two directions. When you have two (or three) layers, use a spoon (or squirt bottle) to drizzle hummus across the carpaccio. Then drizzle with the yogurt mixture, and date syrup. Sprinkle the top with dried barberries, cilantro, sesame seeds, and pistachios. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.  

Serve immediately with fresh bread.

Hummus:

In a large pot, place dried chickpeas and cover with plenty of cold water, at least 2” above the chickpeas. Add onion and bring to a boil. Simmer until the chickpeas are tender, about 2 hours. Remove onion pieces, and drain chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid. Set aside 1/4 cup of the chickpeas for garnish. Place remaining chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor, along with 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Add garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Process until smooth, adding more liquid or water until the desired consistency is reached. Taste to see if more salt is needed. Pour into a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top. Add reserved chickpeas and serve.