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Things in your kitchen cupboards, particularly with a price tag attached, should be able to do more than one job. Now, more so than ever. And pomegranate molasses is one of those ingredients, we’ve found, where people seem unsure about what to do with the rest of the bottle.
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Zejd's pomegranate molasses is a cut above the rest. There's no added sugar or flavouring - it's just 100% sour pomegranate juice, balanced with a sweeter variety. If you're lucky enough to have a bottle in your cupboard bought for an Ottolenghi recipe, you might be wondering how to make the most of it. Used lovingly instead of balsamic vinegar for a dressing, to much applause, but with time that bottle now finds itself pushed to the back of the cupboard.
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What about a new lease of life for that tart, sharp sticky liquid, with no added anything, full of depth? Maybe you have other flavours from the eastern Mediterranean? Like sumac, recipes from Ottolenghi use only a tablespoon or two; rose water, added to those infamous meringues which then taste, miraculously, less sweet; tahini, still languishing in its plastic jar after making hummus, and a tub of halva, difficult to resist when in a Middle Eastern supermarket.
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What if you added some pomegranate molasses and sumac to frozen blueberries (the remainders of a bargain tray from the greengrocer’s) and let it bubble happily in a saucepan, squashing the fruit with the back of a fork as the liquid turns a deep purple. The taste of the pomegranate molasses with the sumac gives the blueberries a longed for sharpness. And then the rose water. Not everyone’s thing - agreed. But just a teaspoon added to this saucepan of promising jam instantly evokes treats of the eastern Mediterranean. And there you have a glaze, to trickle over a tahini crumble topping made with a heart of halva and blueberries.
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If this sounds like a useful makeover for eastern Mediterranean ingredients you have, take a look at the recipe on our website. Adapted from Ottolenghi’s Raspberry halva crumble bars.
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celebrating Lebanon
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Sunday 15th May is election day in Lebanon.
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Last Sunday 75% of the Lebanese diaspora living in the UK turned out to vote according to Impact Lebanon. A record number, desperate to see change in collapsing Lebanon.
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cost of broad beans
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In 2019 a kilo of broad beans cost 1,600 Lebanese lira, today a kilo costs 20,000 LL. That's an astounding 1150% increase. The local currency has lost 85% of its value to the dollar. In these very complicated times for Lebanon, how can the population sustain this?
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While the season has started in Lebanon, in the UK we'll have to wait. This recipe works so well with frozen broad beans. If you've only ever steamed or boiled them before, this simple dish will be quite a revelation.
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Very excited to be joining Kalpna Woolf on 21st June in Bristol at The Eastfield, Henleaze, to talk about the role of food in the community. A huge topic - a great way to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week. Tickets from MaxMinerva's.
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We still have some 3L tins of "souri" EVOO. Dreaded price rises loom, so don't miss out on a bargain while you can. Our stocks have been replenished, there's plenty of prized Lebanese goodness to be had by all!
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Delighted to announce that we've teamed up with Jubilee Food Hub who deliver artisan food products throughout Bristol. Zejd's extra virgin olive oil can now be delivered along with their other tasty items to your door if you live in Bristol!
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