Michele Goes to Istanbul: Summery Shepherd’s Salad with Pomegranate Syrup

It has been a few weeks since I have posted but I have a good excuse! I was volunteering in Uganda with a short stopover to Istanbul. Istanbul was simply a feast for the senses….a cultural crossroads with food to match. This city where Europe meets Asia left me thirsting for more.  It was a whirlwind 24 hours through some of the world’s most amazing monuments – Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and some of the most fascinating bazaars – the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market.  From the gentle smile of the Turks to the smoky ritural of the water pipe, I fell in love with this magical place.  We had lunch at a wonderful restaurant in the Sultanahmet district. Sitting at a table outside on a leafy side street just off the main bustle, the food and service at Khorasani Restaurant was superb. Our attentive, friendly waiter, Suat, offered wonderful suggestions and the minute I tasted their version of the traditional Turkish Shepherd’s Salad, knew it had to be posted. The key to this salad is chopping everything to a fine dice. Don’t be afraid of the pomegranate syrup – it is simply pomegranate juice boiled down to syrup consistency. Simple. The syrup adds a nice hint of sweetness to the dish. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1 small sweet onion, finely diced

2 large cloves of garlic, finely diced

6 large plum tomatoes, finely diced

1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely diced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Make the pomegranate syrup: Boil the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Turn to low and simmer until reduced by about half – roughly 1/4 cup should remain. This should take about 5-10 minutes.  Allow to cool.

2. Mix garlic, onion and tomato together in a bowl large enough to hold the salad.  Stir in the parsley.

3. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, pomegranate sryup, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

4. Mound salad in center of serving bowl. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. Garnish with a parsley sprig and serve! Bon appetit!