Below are two more recipes that remind me of my days growing up in Damascus and, later, visiting Damascus as an adult. I’m not sure if there is any particular reason for this recent nostalgia manifesting itself in recipes, perhaps it is the longing for a hot and dry summer, in such stark contrast to the summer we are having. Or perhaps I am looking to develop the relatively new closeness with Little Boy Green by introducing the flavours I grew up with to him. Or maybe simply because I enjoy the food and miss it. 

This recipe came about as I was desperate for a sandwich. That desperation then turned into wanting the perfect sandwich, or one as close to what I was craving as possible. I was in the mood for tempeh, marinated in tamari and charred to perfection on our griddle plate. More importantly the tempeh had to be topped with kimchi. The raw and unpasturised brand that we regularly purchase was not available, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. 

This is a dish that takes me back to lazy Fridays (the day of rest in the Middle East) in Damascus, when my father would go out and more often than not, return with enough food to feed a small village (and no, we wouldn’t share). Among the many treats he would bring us was Foul ‘Mdamas along with some fresh flatbreads. As with many “local” dishes, there are innumerable varieties of how it should taste, be made and served. The recipe below is for one of those variations and one that is very close to those Friday brunches I fondly remember.

The run is beginning to feel like it happened a while ago, but I have been reflecting a lot on it since it took place last Saturday. I am rarely asked by others about why I participate in ultra marathons, but I find myself asking that question very frequently. Why do I put my body and mind through such challenges, and why do I keep at it? I am beginning to wonder if I will ever have an answer, and even more so as I find out something new about myself in each event.

Last week our vegetable bag contained potatoes, which it normally does not, it is not that we are opposed to potatoes, but they don't have a special place in my heart. However, it was a nice change to have some and we had some left over this week so along with the courgette and some bright and colourful rainbow chard provided in this week’s bag I went for something a little different from the usual suspects in our repertoire.

Shelling broadbeans can feel like an unnecessary step in a world of convenience and if I have to be honest, I only pod them when they arrive in our weekly veg bag (which generally occurs but a few times during the summer months). But the site of them excites me, there is something so natural about seeing beans in their shells

This is another one of my childhood dishes, widely cooked and eaten in the Levant. As is often the case with dishes like this, poor man's food to feed the family with (no meat, hence cheap to make, with ingredients local to the region), there are as many recipes as there are cooks, and each family seems to have (at least one) favourite ingredient

For full disclosure, one of the main ingredients in this recipe is black beans, which could either send you running for the hills, or as I do (with a hint of disbelief - could this actually be any good?) jump with joy. I do love a bean, me.  I find that the addition of a healthy element confuses things for my benefit. Is it really a dessert? Its kinda like a meal, right? This is healthy, so I can have it whenever, n'est-ce pas? While it is not a plate of raw broccoli it does have a decent nutritional profile, if you are the type that is looking for one in a brownie.