Botanica at Home

We’ve always said that an intention of Botanica is to help make life more delicious, no matter where you are. In pursuit of that goal, and in celebration of our 5th anniversary, we present our first cooking videos: Botanica at Home!

In these videos, we share key ingredients and techniques that we use to create Botanica’s vibrant, flavorful, vegetable-centric dishes. There are two categories: Botanica Pantry (in which we shed light on key spices in our flavor arsenal) and Botanica Mother Sauces (featuring sauces that form the foundation of some of our favorite dishes).

Spoiler alert: There are many, many herbs involved.

We’ll be rolling out the videos (six in all!) over the coming weeks. We hope these videos inspire you to pull out your vegetables and spices and get cooking! Questions? Feelings? Requests? Drop us a line at hello@botanicarestaurant.com. Thanks for watching and happy cooking!

*Filmed by Alex Budman, edited by Chris Parker*

BOTANICA PANTRY: ZA’ATAR

Heather’s ode to one of the primary flavors of her Lebanese culinary heritage: za’atar! Za’atar is a spice blend comprised of an herb called za’atar (aka Syrian oregano aka bible hyssop), sumac, sesame seeds and salt; its vibrant, verdant flavor is a distinctive element of Levantine cooking. In the video, Heather explains za’atar and how to use it – in olive oil as a dip, on fresh cheese, in a vinaigrette, on a fattoush-y salad, and on roasted vegetables.

Get the recipes:
* fattoush-y salad with za’atar vinaigrette
* za’atar-roasted radishes with garlicky yogurt & herbs

Buy our favorite za’atar (or snag our spice trio, featuring the three spices that star in our Botanica at Home videos!)

BOTANICA PANTRY: SUMAC

Emily and Heather share their love of sumac, a berry from the eastern Mediterranean with a distinctive citrusy flavor. Being of Lebanese descent, Heather grew up with a deep appreciation of sumac. Today, it’s a staple in the Botanica kitchen — a superpower spice that we incorporate into sauces and use as a flavorful garnish.

Get the recipes:
*sumac yogurt
*sumac garlic bread
*seared mushrooms with sumac butter
*roasted strawberries with sumac

Buy our favorite sumac (or snag our spice trio, featuring the three spices that star in our Botanica at Home videos!)

BOTANICA MOTHER SAUCES: SALSA VERDE

Heather explains salsa verde and demonstrates three variations on the theme. Salsa verde is an olive oil & fresh herb sauce that is a key element of our culinary repertoire. Serve it spooned over on fish, roasted vegetables, beans, eggs, grilled meat or poultry… Once you begin making salsa verde, you’ll never look back!

Get the recipes:
*caper salsa verde (with seared sweet potatoes)
*coriander salsa verde (with heirloom beans)
*Meyer lemon salsa verde (with roasted cauliflower)

BOTANICA MOTHER SAUCES: WHIPPED TAHINI

Zarah makes whipped tahini — a creamy, versatile (and vegan!) dip / sauce — and two of the other sauces/dressings we make from it: green tahini & tahini-buttermilk ranch dressing.

Get the recipes:
*whipped tahini
*green tahini with seared mushrooms & farro
*tahini ranch dressing

Two of our favorite sources of tahini: Soom Foods & Villa Jerada

BOTANICA PANTRY: ZA’ATAR