When you’re married, as I am, to a Moroccan who’s doing Ramadan, in addition to the schedule changes and all the difficulties that Bernard discovers, there’s the problem of the cooking itself. Because, let’s face it, the F’tour table is loaded with things that are absolutely terrifying for the waistline.
So since the beginning of the month, I’ve spent my time looking for suitable recipes that I can offer my Moroccan in-laws (so they’re not too exotic), that can be made with local ingredients (so I don’t have to spend money in supermarkets ‘for foreigners’ – we’ll have to do a post on that one day too), that are refreshing, restorative and easy to make. I’ve collected a few good finds, and the best recipe so far is this French one: cucumber gazpacho flavoured with basil and cumin.
Cumin, of course, is found everywhere in Morocco. “Kamoun”, as we say here, is the third condiment that is almost always placed on the table, along with salt and pepper. Basil is a little more difficult to find fresh, and for those wondering, in Arabic it’s called “ray’han” (with an aspirated h). For me, I’ve solved the problem of finding fresh basil by growing it on my terrace. Well sheltered in the sun, it flourishes!
The recipe suggests using fresh cream in addition to the two yoghurts. Here, crème fraîche is still a product for strangers (and the price of a briquette of Président cream is to be feared!) but more and more dairies are producing local cream, of very good quality, and at quite reasonable prices. I find it in my Carrefour La Belle Vie for 15 dirhams a quarter of a litre, and it cooks very well.
Cucumber gazpacho is a fairly classic recipe, and I’ve tried several variations found on this cooking website, but it’s the cumin version that I prefer. Probably because it has a little Moroccan flavour? The combination of cucumber and yoghurt, which is often found in the Middle East, is curiously not very well known in Morocco. Cucumbers are served in mixed salads, but not really used in cooking. My sisters-in-law really liked the recipe, and decided to try something a little different!
And next week, we’re going to try our hand at European-style pancakes, for a change from baghir and msamem!
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