Three Sisters Fritters: Corn, Fava Beans, and Zucchini Blossoms with Tarragon Butter & Cayenne Yogurt Dipping Sauce

 

What is true "American" food?  This is the question that Casey of Eating, Gardening, & Living in Bulgaria posed recently when she challenged food bloggers to come up with a dish that typifies American cuisine for the 4th of July. ("American" here is referring to the United States, not Mexico or Canada.) Normally, if you ask me about this, I'll tell you that New Orleans is the home of true American cuisine, in that it is a complete system of cooking with a real melting pot of influences: Native American, African, French, Spanish, Caribbean - and doubtless many more.

Warm Fresh Fava Bean Salad ... Perfection

Revisiting all those great Egyptian and Middle Eastern dishes I had in Vienna really got me craving specific foods and flavors. Things like garlic and olive oil and fresh vegetables. Beautiful cheeses and herbs. Something sort of Mediterranean. Then I spied fresh fava beans at the market,  and I knew it was time to return to an old favorite of mine.

Beans in Pumpkin Seed Cream, Courtesy of Weinhof Wieninger's Chef Mike

If you're following along at home, you may recall that in my post describing my wine-soaked visit to the Wieninger Heuriger in Vienna,  I promised to share one of the recipes that Chef Mike generously gave me. You remember Chef Mike (Miriam, this gratuitous shot is for you):

 You're welcome.

Now, you might think that "pumpkin seed cream" sounds a little heavy,  but this dish is actually quite light. (In fact, even his baked gnocchi in pumpkin cream is much lighter than you would think it would be, thanks to a little secret he divulged to me. But that's another post!)