Inside Our Valentine’s Cooking Class With Botanica + Jenni Kayne

V day vibes are all about celebrating the people and things we love. Whether this year entails a romantic evening in with your valentine or a big gathering of girlfriends, we've got just the recipes for you, thanks to the ladies of L.A.'s new Botanica.

We recently gathered with a few ladies we love at Jenni Kayne's for a Valentine's Day-themed cooking class led by the talented, veggie-loving beauties behind this soon to open Silverlake cafe - and feel fully equipped to hit the kitchen.

Friends Emily Fiffer and Heather Sperling are launching Botanica later this spring and we can't wait to hit them up for more of their planty magic, including many Middle Eastern influenced veggie salads, incredible condiments and pantry offerings, plus more healthful desserts like the one we're sharing here tomorrow.

Foregoing traditional tones of red and pink, Jenni stuck with mostly black and white details for the décor (save the quince branches in the foyer), adding a level of casual elegance we love. The table was dressed to perfection with linens from Heather Taylor Home, who also attended, plus florals by the ever exquisiteTwig and Twine (see Valtentine's Day classes from years past!)

We're sharing favorite recipes from the studding spread here below, including this moroccan carrot salad, and roasted eggplant with jeweled herb salad. Tomorrow we're sharing their incredible strawberry tisane tea recipe that can't be missed...

Moroccan Carrot Salad:Hands down, this is one of the best dinner party dishes in our arsenal. It comes together in a snap and can be easily adapted if you don’t have everything on hand. As Stefon would say, this salad has everything: color, crunch and chew; tart, sweet and saline. It’s light enough to serve as an appetizer and stands on its own as a main. Baharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend that takes a variety of forms depending on its origins. Most of the time it includes a combination of black pepper, coriander, cumin and a mishmash of warming spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice). If you have a full spice drawer, it’s worth making yourself a batch.

Don’t have everything on hand? No need to freak out. Simply substitute another toasted nut, like almonds or walnuts, for pistachios; currants or figs for dates; basil for mint; equal parts black pepper, coriander and cinnamon for baharat; more kumquats plus some orange segments for mandarinquats (which are larger and sweeter than a kumquat, and smaller than a mandarin).[olists num=1]

Roasted Eggplant with Jeweled Herb Salad: You might’ve picked up on the fact that we like to pile mountains of herbs on top of things (yogurt! kabobs! soup!). Well, be prepared to fall under this particular mountain’s spell. This colorful dish is hearty enough for a wintry main, bright and fresh enough for a cool summer night, and works just as well for two as it does a group. It makes for a gorgeous dinner party centerpiece, too. Endlessly adaptable, it bends to your pantry’s contents. Once you make it a few times, you’ll become a mix master, subbing almonds for pistachios, currants for pomegranate seeds or figs for dates (to name a few). Want it to be vegan? Omit the yogurt that’s brushed onto the roasted eggplant; it’ll still taste great! [olists num=2]

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