Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 25 hours Cook Time: 15 minutes
Our Growing Domes are still full of cold hardy crops like lettuce and herbs. Our cute baby Meyer lemon tree has fruit ripe for the picking. And since temperatures are warming up, our borage is in full bloom! We wanted to make the most out of these fresh and vibrant flavors, so we are coming to you this month with a vegetarian Mediterranean treat, borage tzatziki and gluten-free falafel! This is also a great dish to add to your meal rotation during Lent.
Air Fryer Gluten-Free Falafel
Like many good things, this recipe does require a bit of pre-planning. Dry chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, will result in the best falafel, but they have to be rehydrated. Make sure to plan ahead and allow time for soaking the beans for 24 hours.
It will be worth it! We promise!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup onion tops* or 1 small onion
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp baking powder
Directions
24 hours in advance: Place chickpeas into a large bowl with 8 cups of cold water. Remove any husks or debris and let soak on the counter overnight. Rinse and drain.
Place chickpeas in a food processor with garlic cloves, onion, parsley, cilantro, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if desired). Blend until mixture is thoroughly combined. Work in batches if necessary. Mixture will be crumbly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove mixture from fridge and add baking powder. Mix with hands until combined. Form into 2 inch balls or flatten into disks. If your mixture is too sticky, add a bit of cornstarch.
Preheat the air fryer to 375 F. Spray basket with preferred cooking spray, add falafel, spray top with cooking spray, and cook for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. If you do not have an air-fryer, you can bake them at 375 F on a greased cookie sheet for 25 minutes, turning halfway through.
*PRO TIP: Trimming the onion tops will force the plant to focus its energy on forming a beautiful bulb. They are just as flavorful as the bulb itself and can be trimmed back so that only 3-4” of the tops are showing. Use these onion tops in various dishes while the bulb is still maturing!
Borage Tzatziki
Tzatziki is traditionally filled with tangy flavors of lemon and dill and mixed with cucumbers and yogurt to make a zesty yet creamy sauce for dipping, topping, or spreading.
With it being March, we don’t have heat loving cucumbers or delicate dill in our unheated Growing Dome ready to harvest and bring this dish to life. However we do have borage which is known for its cucumber-like taste! The flowers and leaves are edible in moderation, making it a great substitute. If you do happen to have cucumbers and dill you can add those as well!
Ingredients
- 1 cup borage leaves
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
- Salt
- Borage flowers
Directions
Blanch borage leaves by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Add borage leaves and let steep for 2 minutes. Remove leaves and immediately place them into a bowl of ice cold water.
Once completely cooled, remove borage leaves and squeeze out excess water. Finely chop.
To a bowl add: yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, borage leaves, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
Mix well and top with fresh borage flowers. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Recommended Serving Suggestions
For a delicious snack, simply dip the falafel into the borage tzatziki.
If you are trying to use only what you have left in your winter greenhouse, You can simply serve the falafel in a lettuce cup with a dollop of borage tzatziki on top.
If you want a more traditional falafel experience, you can serve the falafel in a pita with lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, and borage tzatziki. Depending on the time of year you make this, you may have all of those ingredients ready to harvest.
You can also make a Mediterranean bowl with rice or quinoa as the base and top it with falafel and borage tzatziki along with other fresh veggies. Add kalamata olives and pepperoncini peppers for a little zing.
If you like this recipe and are looking for more vegetarian and gluten-free options to use up your winter harvests, you may also like: Gluten Free Brownies, Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls, Pistachio and Chickpea Caesar Salad, Celeriac Soup
