Walnut taratoor

Hello everyone, last night I made this interesting combination. I'm not quite sure what to call it, other than by its rightful name, a taratoor, but as I had never heard this term before and am guessing that most of you haven't either, that's not very helpful. I suppose you could consider it a very thick sauce, or a dip perhaps. According to the writer of the recipe it can be served with seafood, salads, fried vegetables or bread. I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to roast some potatoes of course and I served the taratoor with them. It was very, very nice and even though I only made a quarter of the given quantity I still have some left, so guess what? More lovely roasted potatoes tonight! (It's my Irish heritage). I think the taratoor would also go well with roast meat, or you could serve it as a dip with bread and/or vegetables, and it would probably work well swirled through some freshly cooked spaghetti with some parmesan cheese on top!

The recipe comes from my lovely Growers Market cookbook which is the only book from which I select randomly. That is because it is about cooking with seasonal produce, so I choose something that is in season right now to make my selection. I'm so happy that Spring is here, I feel as if Winter depresses me slightly more every year, so I'm hoping that the lovely warm conditions we have had in Sydney today will set the standard for Spring and Summer this year.

Have a great week. Jane xx

Walnut taratoor

Serves 8

What you need:

• 250g fresh walnuts (it is so much better to use fresh nuts than packet nuts - in Sydney you can buy them at Harris Farm)
• 80g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 3 garlic cloves
• 60ml white wine vinegar (or if you have an apple cider vinegar in your cupboard I think that would be nice)
• 1 cup olive oil (I reduced this quantity by three quarters as I wanted a thick texture)
• Freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish

What you do:

1. Finely chop the walnuts in a food processor. Set aside a teaspoon for the garnish.
2. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, vinegar and 3 tablespoons water and blend well.
3. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil in a thin but steady stream until smooth. Add a little more water if the sauce appears to be too thick. Season to taste.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate.
5. When you are ready to serve the taratoor, sprinkle the reserved nuts and parsley on top.