Moroccan Couscous Salad with Lavender Lemon Tahini Dressing

Courtesy Ellie Lavender, chef and proprietor, Lavender Design + Cuisine in Santa Cruz

Serves 6 to 8

Take a trip to beautiful Morocco, the land of heavenly spices! Enjoy!

¼ to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dried Morello cherries
½ cup toasted hazelnuts
2 cups couscous
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1½ cups roasted artichoke hearts, lightly chopped
½ cup fennel, thinly sliced
1 Meyer lemon or lemon
½ cup small cherry tomatoes
½ cup black and green olives
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup radishes, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh basil, lightly chopped
1 cup canned butter beans or chickpeas

Toast hazelnut over medium heat (stirring continually) for a few minutes. Remove from stove and let it cool.

Sauté shallots, garlic, zucchini, artichokes, fennel, radishes and butter beans/chickpeas in olive oil over medium heat for 7–10 minutes until lightly cooked and put aside. Rough chop hazelnut and Morello cherries and set aside. Boil 2 cups of water with a slice of lemon and put aside.

Place couscous in a large bowl, add olive oil, sea salt and cumin and pour the boiled lemon water over it. Cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Remove cover, fluff couscous with a fork, add the sautéed ingredients and mix lightly. Add the olives, cherry tomatoes, Morello cherries, hazelnut and basil and mix very lightly. Pour Lavender Lemon Tahini salad dressing over salad right before you serve. Enjoy warm or cold with a glass of fruity wine.

Lavender Lemon Tahini Dressing

The earthy taste of sesame tahini and a few lavender petals make this salad dressing simply heavenly. Enjoy!

1 teaspoon fresh or dried tarragon
½ cup sesame tahini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, lightly chopped
6 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon organic culinary lavender petals, lightly chopped

Place all ingredients, except for the tarragon and lavender petals, in a food processor and pulse until it looks creamy. Add tarragon and lavender petals and pulse 3 more times. Pour in a jar and refrigerate. Before using, take out of fridge and place on kitchen counter for 10–15 minutes until it comes to about room temperature. Drizzle over the salad.