shorkk giveaway

With Bake Off back on the telly, baking over the weekend seems like a good idea as autumn sets in. We have a special giveaway for bakers in the UK, thanks to our local bookshop Max Minerva's in Bristol!

If you can find some quinces, another autumnal joy, enjoy the aroma as they poach gently in wine and Zejd saffron. Perfect with yoghurt for breakfast or with crème fraîche for pudding. And as it gets colder, why not try a herbal hot drink made form Bassatin Baanoub's oregano with honey to soothe a cough.

Just a reminder, our special offer on Zejd's 3L will finish Friday 13th October.

To celebrate this perfect marriage, we're giving away a copy of Philip Khoury's A New Way to Bake and a 500ml tin of Zejd's extra virgin olive oil!

To find out about the book and for details on how to enter, visit our homepage

shorkk recommends

Sea turtle project in Tyre

Sally Abou Al Joud, for L'Orient Today, visited Mona Khalil's project to protect sea turtles outside Tyre, south Lebanon in September. We visited this beach some 20 years ago, so it's great to know that the project has been revived.

Economic crisis explained

"Before the crisis, I used to get paid $1,500 per month. Now in July 2023, I got paid $91 only".

To understand why this teacher's salary in Tripoli, Lebanon has depreciated so dramatically, read Michael Wakin's article published in the Oxford Political Review.

The Mandates BBC Radio 4

A new series, The Mandates began on BBC Radio 4 this week. Tom Bateman's programme makes interesting listening, while his article "The lives upended by colonial rule in the Middle East" makes sobering reading, particularly as he notes "Britain's role was foundational, yet little is understood in Britain today".

photo credit: Synaps

and we plant

This sensitively made short film produced by Synaps captures the daily life of those who grow tomatoes in the Bekaa valley, Lebanon.

For those wanting in-depth analysis of Lebanon's present crisis, there's a wealth of articles to read on Synaps' website.

Wells Food Festival

We'll be at Wells Food Festival this Sunday 8th October for the first time.

If you're in the area, come and have a taste! It's free entry, in beautiful Wells, with over 200 stalls and the weather will be fine!

We're next to The Chew Valley Distillery and Stones Cider.

seasonal shorkk

A few ideas with how to use Zejd's olive brine and saffron this month:

for a touch of the 007 on a Friday night, make dry martini using a measure of Zejd's souri cracked green olive brine with gin or vodka shaken over ice.
add 3 tablespoons of Zejd's souri black olive brine to the wine and stock when slow cooking a beef brisket. The umami flavour in the brine gives more depth to the dish.
poach quinces in wine, lemon & sugar à la Ottolenghi, with Zejd saffron threads and reduce the syrup at the end to intensify the colour.