My inspiration for this spread comes from a Persian dish I grew up eating (khoresht fesenjan) that features a stew of walnuts, pomegranate, and braised chicken which is traditionally served with steaming white rice, and which is, in my humble opinion, finger-licking good. This recipe calls for pomegranate paste, which is a syrup made from the seeds of a tart member of the pomegranate family.
I'm not completely sure if you can find pomegranate syrup at a gourmet grocer; you should ask in any case. However, you can definitely find it in middle eastern/persian spice markets in your town. You may want to look here if you live in:
Los Angeles - Walk out your door, you will likely find a Persian grocery store within a 200-foot radius.
As for the taste: rich, nutty, sweet, slightly tart, and very delicious. As you see in the top photo, I enjoy eating this spread with feta and crusty sourdough bread, but how you eat it is up to you. I imagine it could go very well with goat cheese - if you have any other suggestions please let me know!
Walnut-Pomegranate Spread w/ Feta - makes about 2 cups spread
This spread can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.
This spread can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.
2 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon flour
1/4-cup pomegranate Molasses
2 tablespoons sugar
crumbled feta cheese
1. Toast the walnuts in your oven or on the stove; 350 degrees for ten minutes in the oven, medium heat for 10 minutes on the stove.
2. Once they have cooled to room temperature, chop them up roughly, then transfer to a food processor and grind to a powder, about 10 seconds in the processor.
3. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the flour, and toast lightly, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup water, and stir until flour and water are just combined.
5. Add walnuts, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and oil rises to the top, about 20 minutes.
6. Add pomegranate paste and sugar, sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper, and cook until mixture thickens to a spread-like consistency, about 5 minutes longer. Serve as is or add more pomegranate paste, salt, and pepper to taste.
7. Let cool to room temperature; spread on a slice of bread and top with crumbled feta.
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