Muhummara -- Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip

This is the great dip one of the members of my writing workshop brought to our last class meeting. I emailed her to ask for the recipe and when I didn't hear back,  I found a recipe on The Food Network (HERE)   and followed it exactly -- even to the fiddly business of roasting the peppers and scraping (most of) the skin off.  

One of the ingredients is pomegranate molasses -- which my local grocery doesn't have -- so I bought some pomegranate juice and made my own, thanks to another RECIPE on the internet. It was simple -- add some lemon juice and sugar and boil till reduced and syrup-like. 

I made it the day before I made the dip and when I took my little jar of home-cooked pomegranate molasses out of the refrigerator, it  had hardened till a spoon bounced off the surface.

Despair! And cursing! But I added a little water, stuck the jar in the microwave, and hoorah! there was a thick, spoonable syrup.

After that it was just a matter of throwing all the ingredients into the food processor.

It was as tasty as I remembered (but not quite the same.) And it has the advantage of being gluten free and vegan, making it acceptable to people with all manners of food constraints.

Then I got an email from my student with her recipe. She is in Costa Rica and, as she put it, has been 'gloriously off-line.'  This is her version. (Thanks, Lynda W.!)

Lynda says:

Unfortunately, I don't have access to my recipe (adapted from a version provided by Reza (an Asheville restaurant) ) but I found this version online that is pretty close as I recall. The main thing is to play with it until it tastes good to you. When there is a range in amount, use the least and add to taste. Note: the garlic flavor blossoms after a couple of hours so don't add too much at the beginning.

Muhammara (mu-HUMM-a-da) or [moo-hahm-MRAH]

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

• 4 roasted red peppers, peeled and seeded 
• (I use a large, 14oz?, jar of roasted red peppers, drained well)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 - 1.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili paste, more to taste
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• (I use more, available at greenlife/earth fare, this stuff is amazing, tart and sweet, great on pancakes, biscuits and in cocktails)
• 1 to 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup crushed plain pita chips
• (or any cracker - including gluten free rice crackers - ritz/townhouse style are my favorite for smooth texture)
• Sea salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

In food processor:

• blend walnuts thru garlic until well-mixed
• add crackers, blend until smooth
• season with salt and adjust heat, sweetness, spice, tartness, and texture by increasing other ingredients
• let sit at least 3 hours

Note: 

• serve with raw veggies, crackers, etc.
• also great as sandwich spread or with pasta.