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Cardamom and Dill

A journey around a Mediterranean table

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A beautiful bowl of love for early spring evenings - yes spring, I am speaking to you - this beautiful aniseed-based broth with lightly braised haricot beans, tomatoes, courgette and fennel is seasoned with a really good Spanish sherry vinegar, chilli and fennel seeds but it's the punchy mojo verde - a garlicky green herb and garlic sauce originating from the Canary Islands - that makes it so vibrant. I'm a big fan of condiments such as this and I make a different one every week to stir into soups and braises or to serve on the side of all sorts of dishes including roasted vegetables, every pasta dish imaginable, falafel and burgers. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #spanishfood food #vegetarian #vegan #caldogallego #mojoverde #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem was the first full blown Middle Eastern market I ever visited and, for me, it was an absolutely mind-blowing experience with over 250 vendors and stall holderse inviting me to sample their beautiful chaos of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, pastries and halva, cheeses, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices all piled high and literally zinging with colour, flavour and aroma. There was also stall after stall of producers selling street food to go including crisp balls of falafel, succulent shawarma, kibbeh, kebabs, sizzling shashlik, kanafeh, sumptuous baklava, zalabiya and bowl after bowl of flamboyantly decorated Arabic hummus. Everyone claims theirs to be the best. And it probably is, indeed I have sat amongst friends who will passionately debate until the early hours about their view of the best hummusiya in the city. Whether served chunky or smooth, plain or topped with zhoug, fuul, tahini, crispy chickpeas, toasted pine kernels, sesame seeds or simply just a swirl of good extra-virgin olive oil, this version is just about as authentic as it gets. But then I would say that wouldn’t I. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #arabicfood #israelifood #levantinefood #hummus #zough #vegetarian #vegan #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

Throughout Turkey, luxurious Ottoman-inspired fruit compôtes - ranging from a simple sultana-based version to a complex mix of apricots, figs, prunes and nuts often subtly highlighted with a delightful floral note of rose or orange blossom water - are an integral part of the ritual of eating. No matter what the season, there is always a jar of it chilling in our fridge ready for stirring into creamy Turkish yoghurt, for spooning over a steaming bowl of porridge or to serve alongside a slice of a simple citrusy cake. At this time of year, forced rhubarb takes centre stage - try my version paired with orange blossom water, shelled pistachios and lime - or pick up some beautiful fresh Turkish figs and marry them to a box of plump berries and a splash of vanilla extract. Yesterday, I created a vibrant start to an absolutely baltic day by swirling a spoonful of it into a warming bowl of organic porridge oats cooked with almond milk and topped with a blizzard of golden sultanas, chopped pistachios and fragrant rose petals. There are links to the recipes for both compôtes in my profile #cardamomanddill #turkishfood #fruitcompote #vegetarian #vegan #healhycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

High up in the hills of Umbria, winters can be long and very cold. A chilled silence wraps itself around the small towns and villages like a damp white cloak and the region falls into a kind of reflective slumber until Easter. Restaurants – at least those that choose to remain open after the feasting of Christmas – are cozy with open fires and menus featuring regional comfort foods like fresh egg tagliatelle topped with rich sauces, heirloom legume soups and earthy mushroom and truffle-based dishes all of which are designed to sustain you ahead of a long walk in the the countryside. This soup, a beautiful melange of deeply comforting barley gently cooked with a few winter vegetables and stirred through with a bright squeeze of lemon and a slick of rich oily pesto, is just perfect for a snow day - I made this for supper yesterday - providing you with the self love that you so richly deserve. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #italianfood #vegetarian #vegan #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

Ospriada is a mixture of dried legumes – including black eyed beans, fat and medium white beans, kidney beans, black beans and green lentils – which are gently cultivated on quiet and tranquil organic farms close to the little known Prespa Lakes which are tucked between the borders of Albania ,the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Greek region of Macedonia – also famous for the much beloved gigantes and the sublime chestnut-flavoured giant black beans. Its rich mosaic of colours make the perfect base for soups but, at this time of year, I also like to use it as the basis of nutritious robust salads like this one which provide the perfect end to fast days. Featuring Greek organic extra-virgin olive oil from @raphaelsmeddeli because only the best is worthy of such beautiful base ingredients. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #greekfood #ospriada #vegetarian #vegan #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

Last night’s supper of spiced bulgur wheat with cherry tomatoes and caramelised red onions served alongside roasted aubergine and salted Greek yoghurt stirred through with green harissa. An interpretation of a classic @ottolenghi recipe (from ‘Simple’) made all fancy with the addition of the remains of last Saturday’s porcini mushroom risotto with blood orange and sage. A wildly audacious cultural mashup that turned out great #middleeasternfood #italianfood #vegetarian #harissa #bulgarwheat #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

Here’s a beautifully bright pasta dish to brighten up your day whatever the season. There’s something extraordinarily comforting about eating Greek kritharaki (kριθαράκι) or orzo; it’s the luxe softness of it I think as well as its ability to soak up all your favourite flavours be they rich or light. This vibrant lemony herb-packed recipe is super quick to pull together - like 15 minutes - so it’s a perfect one for busy weekday supper. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #greekfood #kritharaki #orzo #vegetarian #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

Minestra aromatica, potato and arborio rice soup with aromatics. This beautiful recipe is perfect for the early days of a new year when the desire for bright vibrant flavours vies for attention with the long walk towards the spring. This year, more than ever before, I have looked to silence and reflection these past few weeks, a quiet time in order to process everything that is happening in our world. Times are tough. Of that there is no doubt but generous bowls of goodness such as this are a tincture for the soul designed to gently lead us out of the darkness into the light. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #italianfood #soup #vegetarian #vegan #veganuary #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #yogicdiet #onmytable

This recipe is inspired by the generously filled apple tarts and pies that, during the autumn months, hit the bars and restaurants of the Basque Country where the terrain is given over to orchards for cider making. Awareness of Spain’s crisply tangy sidra is relatively low in the UK but, like everything else related to fermentation and brewing, it’s catching on fast. I for one am a massive fan. Not only is it a beautiful drink, it’s delivery is fascinating because the golden liquid is poured from a great height – literally gulp by gulp – so that small air bubbles are formed as it hits the specially designed glasses. Take a couple of sips and the whole process starts again. The dryness of the slightly effervescent sidra against the sweetness of the tart is so pleasing but it would go well with any small batch artisan cider. This is the perfect dessert for the festive season and there’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #basquefood #appletart #vegetarian #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #onmytable

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 knocking about in the pantry. The only fresh item I bought here was radicchio, a beautiful leaf vegetable which added a mellow bitter note to the freekeh’s nutty, smoky qualities and the sweet-sour tang of the dressing. On the side were thin slices of tangy Turkish white cheese – tulum peyniri – which I drizzled with olive oil, some honey-roasted figs and a bowl of my Middle Eastern cranberry and pomegranate relish spiced with ras el hanout. There’s a link to the recipes in my profile #cardamomanddill #turkishfood #freekeh #radicchio #pomegranatemolasses #vegetarian #vegan #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #onmytable

When we were in Corfu Town last summer, I made it my mission to find truly authentic tavernas and by far the best one we came across ticked every single box. A simple whitewashed interior featuring a dusty clock and iconic paintings of Christ. Old family photographs fighting for our attention as they danced around a collection of strange Greek memorabilia. A few old men in crisp white shirts each sitting silently at his naturally distanced table eating lunch with a small beer clasped in one hand and a neatly folded newspaper in the other. Behind the glass counter a woman – her face locked in grim concentration – dishes out plate after plate of food with all the grace of a BHS canteen apprentice of the 70s. A tall man in a pink shirt, blue braces and a pair of baggy Levi’s attempts to attract her attention. It is a futile task. Before her are huge trays of Greek gigantes, braised artichokes, carrots and peas, thick cut chips fried in olive oil, stifado, a traditional beef stew slowly cooked with stacks of onions and the ubiquitous stuffed peppers. The latter is a thing of beauty of course but I find them a bit on the heavy side due to rice and the copious amounts of olive oil they are cooked in so here’s an alternative for you which, in its assembly yesterday, evolved into something more reminiscent of a salad. It’s fresh, it’s vibrant and, above all, hugely flavourful thanks in no small part to the addition of @raphaelsmeddeli Cretan extra-virgin olive oil and a scattering of marinated Kalamata and green olives with garlic and herbs #gifted There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #greekfood #gemista #stuffedpeppers #vegetarian #vegan #healthycomfortfood #nourishyork #onmytable

We tumbled through the door of the packed antique brasserie just opposite the Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, our faces flushed from the frosty air and the glasses of gently spiced vin chaud bought from the Christmas market, one of the oldest in Europe. Laughing, perhaps a little too loudly, we grabbed the only remaining table positioned under misty windows illuminated with reflected candlelight. How many times has this little place witnessed the merriment of Christmas Eve we wondered. Everything finally in place and just the feasting to look forward to. And what a feast we had planned but first, a bottle of wine to share and a slice of this beautifully soft and creamy tart, a local delicacy of Alsace. The snow came on the way home and the perfect Christmas welcomed us into its loving arms. There’s a link to the recipe in my profile #cardamomanddill #frenchfood #alsace #tartealoignon #oniontart #vegetarian #nourishyork #onmytable

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