Gratified Labor Day. In my neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, this vacation doesn’t lawful signal the terminate of half of-day Fridays and seersucker; it ushers on the start of the brand new season with a two-mile lengthy parade of account for floats, costumes and tune, a avenue-huge carnival, and a few different performances on the Brooklyn Museum, all in occasion of West Indian American pride. And all along the manner, loads and hundreds real West Indian meals.
an appropriately tri-coloured Scotch Bonnet pepper, signature spice of the islands
Jamaica has plenty to celebrate coming off a victorious pace on the Olympic Games in Beijing, along with a sweep of medals for the girls folks’s 100 meter flee. They aren’t the supreme country making insanity within the streets this day. As I walked my bike from the park to the museum, flags and foods from throughout the tell flocked the traffic-blocked avenue, growing a visible and fragrant megawatt rainbow. I have I can smell jerk wafting through my window.
a smartly-identified gaze for the ‘hood: jerk cooking in an oil barrel
squashes simmer in spices
[for more photos, see my Flickr set]
All this avenue handsome meals and festival might perhaps well create a lady who doesn’t eat out fairly morose, it’s probably you’ll per chance well dispute. In particular since it’s going to be in my face for the total day. Nicely, I notion about this before time, and whereas I stay remark it can per chance well handiest be “handsome” to accept myself an real model of this this day, I made a decision to search out out easy the manner to create one among the most new avenue snacks of the tell: Jamaican patties.
Now, whenever you happen to’ve handiest had a Jamaican patty from a New York Metropolis bodega or pizza joint that got here frozen from a box, all cookie-cutter looking and disgustingly dry and crumbly inner, I pity you. Where I grew up in New Jersey I turned into once in a save to salvage freshly-baked, homemade patties from minute stores. I’m talking chopped meat, fiery spices, thick, rich sauce, and mushy flaky crusts. In a note: unbelievable. But I didn’t are attempting to trail there moderately yet. Because the Greenmarket is in such wonderful flourish with new veggies now, I notion I’d trend myself a full of life veggie patty as a change.
sauteed peppers, onions, thyme and spices combine with new zucchini
Vegetarian Jamaican patties are made by some restaurants in these factors to boot to the extra in vogue meat forms, so I’m urged by a vegetarian friend (and this text). So here’s no longer a totally unique twist. Only, my friend didn’t truly own a clue what vegetables were within the ones he’d tried. So with the exception of diced bell pepper, onions and a contact of crimson-scorching Scotch bonnets, which can additionally restful trail into simply meat patties anyway, I added a minute bit shredded zucchini, now in season. And to bind all of it collectively true into a challenging paste, I selected a most new Caribbean ingredient, calabasa squash. I’ve glanced at these with curiosity in my native markets, however had never cooked with them ahead of. After roasting one half of-globe of those gourds and tasting it, I can’t convey worthy difference between these and acorn squash.
simply gourd: Calabasa squash
after roasting, the skin peels away
This summer season I’ve already been inspired by the flavors of the Caribbean to agree with a jerk-inspired hen salad. That ride gave me an introduction to primary Jamaican spices: new ginger, thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric. All these went into my veggie patty filling, and following a recipe for beef patties I frail for reference, a minute bit turmeric additionally went into the pastry crust dough to present it that signature golden glow.
pastry dough dyed yellow with a pinch of turmeric
crimping the pocket edges with a fork
This filling had lawful the appropriate quantity of heat for me. The total type is form of extra sweet than savory, all coming from the vegetables’ natural sugars. Have to you’re afraid on spiciness it’s probably you’ll per chance well are attempting to desire a assume at this out first the use of lawful half of a Scotch bonnet as a change of a whole. But in either case, ensure to desire away all those seeds (rubber gloves support this assignment out greatly, lest you save on contact lenses take care of I stay and own to yowl for the next day or two whereas taking them out and inserting them in, take care of I stay).
freshly baked and fragrant
Finally, here’s one among those cases where I truly wish the Web age might perhaps well give you the skills for type-o-imaginative and prescient. The images of those patties might perhaps well no longer assume take care of worthy, however their flavor, and tremendous distinction of textures from crisp pastry to warmth, gooey filling, doesn’t analysis to something I’ve ever tasted ahead of. It’s a confetti of new vegetables, kicked up with classic Jamaican spices, encased in a buttery shell. That’s referring to the finest I can stay note-shimmering. Please, own a trail of it yourself.
Now, off to the streets for that “accurate” patty! The steel drums outside are getting louder by the minute.
Vegetarian Jamaican Patties
(makes 6)
for the pastry:
1 cup all-reason flour
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons frigid unsalted butter, cubed
about 1 tablespoon frigid water
for the filling:
1 lb calabra squash (or change acorn or butternut), which can additionally restful yield 1 cup roasted flesh
1 medium-substantial crimson pepper, diced
1 minute Scotch bonnet pepper, fastidiously seeded and diced
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup diced onion
1 substantial scallion (or two minute), finely chopped
1 substantial garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons new ginger, grated
2 teaspoons new thyme
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon shadowy pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
To create the pastry: Sift dry factors collectively and carve in butter in a meals processor or with a pastry cutter except mixture resembles terrifying crumbs no elevated than a pea. Add frigid water a minute spoonful at a time lawful except moist adequate to salvage a ball. Quilt with plastic wrap and sit down back whereas making the filling.
Preheat oven to 375 levels. Snatch seeds from squash, and coat exposed floor of the squash’s flesh with vegetable oil. Space flesh side-down on a baking tray and roast for roughly 40 minutes (reckoning on the dimension/form of your squash — mine turned into once a neat half of). Squash might perhaps additionally restful be very comfortable to the contact when cooked through. Flip it over so the steam evaporates as the squash cools. As soon as it’s cool adequate to take care of, the flesh might perhaps additionally restful run away with out problems from the thick skin. Transfer to a bowl and preserve uncovered as to let as worthy liquid evaporate whereas you prepare the rest of the filling.
Warmth a substantial saucepan with oil. Add the onions, crimson pepper, Scotch bonnet, garlic, ginger, thyme and dry spices and sautee 5-6 minutes, except onions are comfortable. In a substantial bowl, combine the shredded zucchini and squash, and add the pepper sautee to the aggregate. Add the Worcestershire sauce and salt to type.
Divide the chilled pastry dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll every person out on a lightly floured floor to about 6″ ovals. (If the sides are crackly, even them out a minute bit along with your fingers.) Divide the filling into 6 equal factors.
Preheat oven to 400 levels. Enjoy one side of every oval with filling, leaving on the least 1/2″ on the sides. Moisten one edge with water along with your fingertip and fold the a form of side over. Crimp edges with a fork. Space every stuffed and crimped patty on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for roughly 25 minutes, or except tops are lawful lightly browner. Let cool 5 minutes ahead of serving.
Price Calculator
(for 6 patties)
1 cup flour: $0.30
4 tablespoons butter: $0.50
1 lb calabra squash: $0.79
1 crimson pepper (from a substantial salvage of 7 from the Greenmarket/$3): $0.43
1 Scotch bonnet (at 4/$1 from native Caribbean market): $0.25
1/2 cup shredded zucchini (at $1.80/lb): $0.35
1 scallion (at $1/bunch): $0.20
1/4 cup diced onion: $0.15
2 teaspoons new thyme (at $1/bunch): $0.25
2 teaspoons new ginger: $0.10
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce: $0.05
1 garlic clove, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, vegetable oil: $0.25
Whole: $11.83
Health Ingredient
Four brownie aspects: In a note, unbelievable. The squash is what retains the filling have collectively, as a change of fatty meat, or lawful plump. How fair correct is that? Take care of most winter squashes of a deep orange hue, it’s rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, has a minute bit calcium and protein, and adds many of flavor with out… plump. Pink pepper is additionally rich in antioxidants, and a minute bit of potassium and fiber-rich zucchini doesn’t hurt, either. With six patties to 4 tablespoons of butter within the pastry, it’s probably you’ll per chance additionally own lower than a tablespoon of butter a pop. How did this savory, decadent avenue meals snack salvage so darn healthy? (And have so handsome?) I’m no longer going to answer that, for modesty’s sake.
Green Ingredient
Six maple leaves: There might be admittedly no excuse to no longer be a substantial inexperienced huge this time of year, when the Greenmarkets are so noteworthy. That said, a couple factors might perhaps well no longer be chanced on there, however as a change at my native Crown Heights Caribbean markets, take care of the squash and the Scotch Bonnet pepper. All the pieces else — build for the flour and spices — were native Greenmarket finds. Not contemptible for a Jamaican-inspired dish.