Starter

I am lucky enough to find freshly shelled fava beans and peas at my local supermarket. If you grow your own, or have a source of really young vegetables, use them, but it is better to use frozen petits pois and fava beans rather than old fresh ones.

In Morocco, this is considered “poor food.” It is eaten hot with bread to soak up the juices. You could make it with canned chickpeas, in which case it would take only a few minutes to cook, but for a large quantity like this, it is worth using dried chickpeas, as their taste and texture is better and they will have time to absorb the flavors. You need to soak them in water for a few hours or overnight.

I use the frozen artichoke bottoms obtainable from Middle Eastern and Asian grocers, who also sometimes sell frozen skinned fava beans. Some supermarkets sell freshly shelled fava beans. You do not need to remove the skins if they are young. If you wish to use fresh artichokes, see page 8.

These sweet tomates confites have a deliciously intense flavor. Serve them hot or cold as an appetizer or with grilled meat or fish. Considering their versatility and their great use in Moroccan cuisine, it is extraordinary that tomatoes were adopted by Morocco as late as 1910. It is best to use plum tomatoes. Although they take a long time to cook, you can cook them in advance, even days in advance, as they keep well in the refrigerator.

A mild and soft fresh goat cheese, jban, is one of the rare cheeses produced in Morocco. If you are not keen on raw garlic, you can leave it out.

Peppers and tomatoes are often partnered around the Mediterranean, but the surprise of finding sweet apples and chili peppers makes this a very special first course to serve with bread. The peppers can also be fried with the onion, but I like to roast them.

Carrot salads are very common in Morocco. This one is sold by street vendors and is particularly delicious. Use older carrots, which have a better taste than young ones.

These minty carrots are tasty and aromatic. Serve them hot or warm as an appetizer or to accompany grilled or roast meat or chicken.

This bright red, creamy purée has an alluring mix of flavors. Serve it as a dip or to accompany fish.

The honey sweetness of this specialty from Marrakesh is surprising and enchanting. Serve it cold as an appetizer with bread, or hot to pour over meat or chicken, and sprinkle, if you like, with chopped, toasted almonds or sesame seeds.

This is fantastic on fresh pumpernickel or rye bread for lunch; or spread it on fresh Italian bread to serve with light pasta dishes.

When I serve this to lunchtime company, even tofu skeptics love it! For me, it’s a throwback to tuna salad, something I gave up many years ago, though I still liked its taste. This is especially good served in warm pita bread. I also like to mix leftovers with macaroni for a “tofuna”-noodle salad. For more information on baked marinated tofu, see page 136. For this recipe, it’s best to use a baked tofu product that comes in large chunks like Soy Boy’s Tofu Lin, rather than the type that comes in small cutlets.

Tempeh is a chewy, fermented soy food. For more information, see page 146. This spread is comparable to a curried chicken salad, though if you already like tempeh, you need not compare it with anything; just enjoy it on fresh wholegrain bread or crackers.

This spicy dip makes a filling snack for a crowd. Serve with stone-ground tortilla chips.

Silken tofu makes a perfect base for a good, dairy-free dip.

Here’s a dip that could inspire your family to eat more raw vegetables. It’s great for informal gatherings and cold buffets, too. Serve this with an array of colorful vegetables, including broccoli florets, baby carrots, red bell peppers, and halved cherry tomatoes.

Smoky roasted eggplant is tempered by yogurt in this Middle-Eastern-inspired dip. This is good for spreading on fresh bread as well as scooping up on pita.

Here’s a nourishing dip for whole-grain crackers or pita bread.

A classic Middle Eastern dip for scooping onto wedges of pita bread.

Like the previous recipe, this classic dip is delicious scooped up on wedges of pita bread.