Carrots with yogurt is a common appetizer, or meze, in Turkey. Grated carrots are cooked lightly and then mixed with yogurt and garlic. This is a healthy and low-fat Mediterranean recipe that you can eat for a simple dinner with some grilled meat, or serve alongside other vegetarian appetizers for a party. Carrots are very inexpensive and nutritious, so they a great ingredient for people on a budget.

4 medium carrots, peeled and grated (or 4 cups grated carrot)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
Pinch of cumin and salt
Juice of ½ a lemon

Heat up the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the grated carrots and a drop of water and stir. Cover the pan with a lid and let steam lightly until cooked down and soft. Remove from heat and cool.
Meanwhile mix the garlic with the yogurt, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the carrots and lemon. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 6 as an appetizer.

This is a simple, yet luxurious compote featuring fresh figs. We used Black Mission figs for this recipe, but you could also try it with Brown Turkey or Calimyrna. Figs are incredibly healthy and full of fiber and important minerals, such as iron. Actually, what we think of as one fruit, is actually millions of tiny little fruits (each miniscule pulp inside is actually a little fruit in and of its own). This healthy spread is great for a myriad of settings, so take a look at the serving suggestions below.
The cooking time is about 30 minutes start to finish.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot, thinly sliced horizontally
2 cups fresh figs, quartered
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
pinch of ground cumin
1 star anise
1 scant tablespoon organic honey

Heat up the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the shallot and cook them slowly until they cook through, then gain color and caramelize.
Add the figs to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon. Pour in the water and seasonings and keep cooking until the figs soften and start to break down. Make sure to keep stirring so that the fruit does not get stuck in the pan.
Cook until the water is gone and the mixture has broken down and melded together into a compote.
Stir in the honey and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste. Remove the anise and serve.
Makes about 1 cup.

Serving Ideas:
Serve over slices of fresh mozzarella di bufala (pictured above).
Serve on crackers with fine cheeses, such as manchego, idiazabal, and asiago.
Serve on crackers with smoked bluefish.
Use as a spread on sandwiches with coldcuts.
Eat with yogurt for a light dessert.

Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes
Per Potato:
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or field garlic, Allium vineale)
1-2 tablespoons potato cooking water
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Place the chunks in a pot, cover with ample water (about two inches more than just covering). Boil the potatoes until cooked through. They should be soft enough that they fall apart when poked with a fork.
2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the other ingredients, starting with 1 tablespoon of the cooking water per potato. Mash with a potato masher, adding more cooking water if a thinner consistency is desired. Let cool to room temperature. Serve with crackers or crudites.
3. Skordalia will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Be sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.

This recipe is for a duo of Crostini: one with sauteed grapes and rosemary, and the other with olive oil and cannellini beans. These make for a simple, rustic Italian appetizer to serve with some nice wine on a Fall afternoon.

½ loaf of nice Italian bread (preferably a day old)

For the Rosemary and Grape Crostini:
1 cup red grapes
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 T olive oil
1 tsp chopped rosemary

For the Cannellini Crostini:
1 cup dried cannellini beans
1 sprig of rosemary
2 garlic cloves
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Fresh sage leaves

The night before you would like to make the crostini, cover the cannelini with water in a bowl, and let them soak overnight.
Drain them, and put in a pot covered with water, along with the garlic cloves, rosemary, and a lug of oil.
Bring to a boil and simmer until they are cooked through, about 1½ hours.
Season them very well with salt, add the olive oil, and toss in some freshly torn sage leaves.

Prepare the grapes by slicing them in half.
Heat up the olive oil in a saute pan, and add the garlic.
When the oil is nice and hot, add the grapes and saute briefly for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat, and add in the rosemary.
Stir. Let them cool in the pan a little before assembling the crostini.

Use day old bread, or dry out fresh bread in the oven so it is nice and toasty.
You can dry out some bread by putting the oven on at 300°F, and then putting the slices in the oven until they are crispy, but not toasted.

Assemble four crostini of each topping, making sure you put a nice amount of olive oil on top of the cannellini beans.
Makes 6 crostini each, with leftover cannellini beans for a side dish or salad.