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Cardamom and Dill

A journey around a Mediterranean table

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Category: Pantry

Turkish Freekeh and Radicchio Salad with a Pomegranate and Balsamic Dressing

This recipe is loosely inspired by the roasted freekeh-stuffed cabbage rolls I have enjoyed in southern Turkey but, because this is such a busy time of year, I wanted to devise an alternative recipe that would come together quickly for last night’s supper and which would make use of some of the stuff I have…

Pera Garlicky Spinach with Yoghurt and Biber Salçası

After a bone-chilling day we literally fell through the doorway of Asmalı Cavit, a treasured wooden-fronted traditional meyhane in the centre of Pera in Istanbul. Here, the walls are lined with photographic portraits of people from a more glamorous age alongside vintage posters promoting wine, long forgotten theatre productions and the seaside resorts that were…

Sóllar Lemon and Saffron-infused Roast Potatoes with Olivas Negras Sea Salt

We’ve just returned from a brief visit to the beautiful island of Mallorca where the sun was shining and the air was heavy with the scent of orange and lemon blossom, heady wisteria and clouds of tumbling white jasmine. It made my heart sing to be back in the Mediterranean where I had the chance…

Italian Herb-marinated Bocconcini

In spring, the meadows of Parque del Monte Subasio near Spello in Umbria are smothered with a carpet of flowers and aromatic herbs; over 80 specimens of them in fact. It is here that peasants used to come after the harsh winter to forage for seasonal pops of flavour to brighten their soups, stews and rustic…

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This simple yet nourishing Levantine breakfast dish - m’sabaha, chickpea soup with a preserved lemon and green chilli relish - is a celebration of the humble legume slowly cooked with fresh rosemary, cumin and a little love and brought to life with a vibrant relish that packs a hot citrusy punch. It was first introduced to me by a friend I used to meet in Florentin – then an up and coming suburb of Tel Aviv that was yet to arrive – on Friday mornings to check out the latest cafe openings and the gorgeous Levinsky market with stalls piled high with pulses, herbs and spices, freshly baked bourekas, roasted nuts and dried fruit. After filling our baskets with everything we needed for the weekend, we would chill out at one of the food stalls, every time trying something new. And that’s the thing about Florentin, it was settled by Jewish immigrants from the Balkans and Persia so, like all Israeli cuisine, Florenin’s streets are a melting pot of different influences and family recipes. This is one of my favourites, preserved forever in my heart. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #levantinefood #palestinianfood #lebanesefood #msabaha #asenseofplace #vegetarian #vegan #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #wholefoods #naturaleating #foodtraveller

Spring and all its flowers

I first tried this beautiful interpretation of the classic roasted tomato soup on the island of Symi, a glorious island that elegantly lies in the Southern Dodecanese, north of Rhodes and close to the coast of South West Turkey. Although it’s a relatively barren place, the island’s rich merchant founders made the most of its beautiful natural harbour – in my opinion, the most beautiful in all the Mediterranean – by adorning it with rows and rows of pastel-coloured Venetian mansions that tumble down to the sea as if in a race to admire their reflections in the azure blue water. Along the harbour wall is a row of beautiful tavernas and the kind of whitewashed bars that are specifically designed to serve every whim of the kind of lotus eaters represented by Homer as ‘living in a state of dreamy forgetfulness and idleness as a result of eating the fruit of the lotus plant‘. With the addition of @raphaelsmeddeli’s beautiful Gold Label extra-virgin olive oil PDO Kolymvari, it is my dearest wish that this deceptively simple recipe will render you similarly content, there’s a link in my profile #cardamomanddill #greekfood #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #nutritiousanddelicious #healthylifestyle #foodtraveller

Labneh, a beautiful soft cheese simply made from strained yoghurt that can be eaten with pretty much everything but which is an especially good friend to rich and spicy mezzes. The first time I tasted it I was sat at a little linen-covered table on the edge of a vegetable garden in Amirim, an entirely vegetarian organic agricultural community set in the hills overlooking the glittering Sea of Galilee. Served on an azure blue plate, the pure white cheese was drizzled with local honey and accompanied with small baskets of freshly baked bread, crushed pistachio nuts and sun-warmed figs fresh from the tree that shimmered hazy waves of warm light over the table. Like all delicate ingredients, labneh takes on flavours very well and is stunning stirred through with a mixture of finely chopped fresh herbs and garlic; or served with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar. Here I’ve added a spoonful of zhoug, a punchy and fragrant chilli and herb relish from Yemen. You can find my recipe in @junehersh’s fascinating new book ‘Yoghurt, a Global History’ which is now available to buy in the UK via Amazon. It’s a brilliant read and is inspiring me in all kinds of new ways at a time when inspiration is a bit thin on the ground #cardamomanddill #levantinefood #asenseofplace #vegetarian #labneh #zhoug #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #nutritiousanddelicious #healthylifestyle #foodtraveller

Last night’s tart was inspired by a sultry evening in beautiful Arles in Provence, my favourite region of France beloved for its diverse landscapes from the breathtaking Southern Alps and the vast plains of Camargue to rolling vineyards, glorious olive groves, pine forests and acres of lavender fields to the glittering beaches of the Côte d’Azur. Here the cuisine is inspired by seasonal produce, North Africa and other Mediterranean cultures resulting in a cornucopia of the kind of sharing dishes I love to create on hot days when no-one is up for much until the sun starts to set and the time comes for a chilled glass of local rosé wine and a game of pétanque on the dusty path that separates the vineyard from the garden. This is my Arles vegetable tart, featuring a rich buttery herby pastry and a slow cooked sun-dried tomato and pepper sauce, topped with slow-roasted aubergines with organic Herbes de Provence (thyme, marjoram, parsley, bay, celery seeds, tarragon and lavender), juicy plum tomatoes, black olives, creamy mozzarella, grated Comté and fresh basil leaves. Served with my wild garlic and roasted walnut pesto #cardamomanddill #frenchfood #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #nutritiousanddelicious #healthylifestyle #foodtraveller

Beautifully elegant fruit canelé, a two-bite thing of beauty encapsulating everything that you want in a pastry: a delicate balance of sweet and savory flavours and a crunchy caramelized crust that gives way to a delicate custardy interior. Vilnius, April 6th, 2019, a time when travelling and exploring new cultures was what you did simply because you could #cardamomanddill #frenchpatisserie #canelé #vilnius #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #nutritiousanddelicious #healthylifestyle #foodtraveller

A beautifully smoky condiment for your Easter Monday BBQ/picnic: In Mallorca breakfast consists of endless cups of darkly strong black coffee, freshly baked ‘ensaïmada’ – a beloved Mallorcan sweet pastry originating from Arabia – and ‘pan con tomate’ (Spanish tomatoes on garlicky toast). I could happily live forever on the latter so I wanted to create something similar for my Andalusian menu and this is the result. It’s a simple dish of loveliness with a foundation of very ripe plum tomatoes blended with griddled sourdough bread, lashings of garlic, olive oil, aged sherry vinegar, lemon juice and smoked paprika. It’s can be a challenge to get the balance of flavours right at first – truth be told, there can be no exact recipe as it depends on the time of year you make it and the quality of the tomatoes available – but the reward is a vibrant bowl of the very essence of a Spanish summer. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #mallorcanfood #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #nutritiousanddelicious #healthylifestyle #foodtraveller

Last night’s Middle Eastern mezze: coriander and chilli falafel with a bowl of punchy zhoug and labneh stirred through with fiery harissa and dukkah. To provide a contrast to the heat there were also sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, a bowl of lemony hummus and warm Arabic flatbreads. Leftovers will be piled atop soft brioche buns this weekend to create sensational burgers. These are all great recipes to try over what looks to be a decidedly chilly Easter, you’ll find the links - including the stories that inspired them - in my profile #cardamomanddill #levantinefood #middleeasternfood #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #nutritiousanddelicious #healthylifestyle #foodtraveller

Several years ago I came across a gorgeous little concept store/café just behind the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. It’s one of those places that seems so effortlessly chic where the food is personal, fresh and made with love of the contemplative kind. Its walls are lined with blonde wooden shelves each carrying a collection of locally sourced natural products including classic pastel-striped towels from the hammam, olive oil soaps, little boxes of spices, essential oils and stone platters and bowls. Simple artworks adorn the walls and there’s always a small rail of beautiful garments and woven shawls. The coffee is wonderful and the atmosphere chilled, the perfect antidote to a morning spent - generally overwhelmed and very lost - in the bazaar. It’s called Fez Café and I absolutely loved it. Sadly, it is no more but this beautifully textured piquant salad is a lasting memory of the many, many lunches I quietly enjoyed with them leafing through their collection of old Turkish recipe books and taking notes. It’s a perfect addition to your Easter table or for taking to the park with a just baked Arabic flatbread brushed with olive oil and wrapped in white paper. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #turkishfood #kisir #istanbul #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #eatwelllivewell #nutritiousanddelicious #healthylifestyle #theartofslowliving #foodtraveller

Kadiköy market dried fruits and nuts with apricot leather and orange blossom water. The narrow streets that curl around the vibrant Kadiköy market – the perfect setting in which to explore the sights, sounds and aromas of the Asian side of Istanbul – is lined with family owned grocery stores with shop fronts only just visible behind mountains of beautiful fresh produce, dried fruits and nuts. The aromas of freshly ground coffee and baking bread linger heavily in the air and hawkers shout out to attract your attention already hugely distracted by the sheer theatre of it all. Inside every shop you will find a cornucopia of oils, olive oils, natural soaps, herbs, teas and tisanes, olives and pickles, barrels of feta and huge buckets of biber salçası, a beautiful red pepper paste available in both hot (aci) and sweet (tatli) varieties, dried vegetable cases and fruit leathers. Just to wander up and down the narrow lanes is one of life’s greatest pleasures especially in the late afternoon as twilight shines through and the market throngs with shoppers looking for inspiration for that evening’s supper. It is heaven to me. Served with a simple rosewater cream, this beautifully opulent naturally sweet dessert transports me back to that beautiful and inspiring place in less a minute.This is part of the dessert on my Turkish Supper Club menu and there’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #turkishfood #istanbul #asenseofplace #vegetarian #vegan #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #eatwelllivewell #nutritiousanddelicious #intermittentfasting #healthylifestyle #theartofslowliving #foodtraveller

Following the announcement last night of the return of the Cardamom and Dill Levantine mezze pop up at North South in York, all three dates are now fully booked. The set menu includes five unique and authentic vegetarian mezze dishes inspired by the amazing dishes I’ve enjoyed whilst travelling across the Levant – including Israel, Lebanon, Palestine and Turkey. New dates and events will be released during the course of the next few months. Please sign up to my monthly newsletter for an early heads up on what’s in the planning because dates tend to go super fast. There’s a link in my profile. Thanks to Rich and Laura at @northsouthyork for handling the blizzard of bookings and to the wonderful people of York for your continued support, it means the world to me. This is a classic Greek courgette filo pie. Nice! #cardamomanddill #levatinefood #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #eatwelllivewell #nutritiousanddelicious #intermittentfasting #healthylifestyle #theartofslowliving #foodtraveller

Syrian zahra, spicy roasted cauliflower finished with mint and rose petals served with a sour cream and chive sauce. It’s inspired by @anasatassi’s AMAZING new book ‘Sumac’ which presents a beautiful insight into Syrian cuisine and the deeply important country that inspires it #cardamomanddill #SUMAC #syrianfood #asenseofplace #vegetarian #yogicdiet #onmytable #mediterraneandiet #mindfuleating #consciouseating #cleaneating #naturaleating #eatwelllivewell #nutritiousanddelicious #intermittentfasting #healthylifestyle #theartofslowliving #foodtraveller

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