An amazing old-fashioned food from the women-focused firm in Kabul

While writing about apricots as a metaphor for good things to come, I was reminded to pick up some of these dried apricot kernels from Afghanistan. To my sense of things, these uncommon little toasted and salted sweet-apricot treats are one of the tastiest additions to our collective Zingerman’s pantry to show up in ages.

As I’ve mentioned before, apricots are native to China. Afghanistan lies, of course, to the west, sandwiched between Iran and the border with China, so apricot trees would have likely been grown there for many thousands of years. We know Afghanistan today mostly, unfortunately, because it’s been ravaged by war for so many decades, but we also know that more positive futures are possible. The Irish theologian John O’Donohue wrote that “all the contemporary crises can be reduced to a crisis about the nature of beauty.” In fact, the name of the company making them available, Ziba, means “beautiful” in Dari (the Afghan dialect of Persian).

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Ziba’s founders began with the express purpose of helping women in Afghanistan to make a sustainable living. As the Ziba folks say, “Our mission is simple: to introduce people to the splendors of one of the world’s most inaccessible countries while actively working to improve the lives of its women and rural farmers.” In practice, their goal of supporting “the development of women in business so they can gain independence” is already making a big difference in the lives of many women. The workforce is primarily women in the Kabul factory. This isn’t about charity—it’s about independence, good work, care. And beauty.

I will say that if you look up apricot kernels, you’ll find that bitter apricot kernels can have a high degree of toxicity. These, though, are sweet apricot kernels, which have a different chemical makeup, making them safe for you and me to eat. While they’re not certified organic, they essentially are in practice since these small-scale Afghan farmers don’t use pesticides.

The Ziba Apricot Kernels are nutty, almondy, slightly smoky, slightly sweet, a beautiful bit of bitter. (FWIW, apricot pits like this are the key “secret” flavor that makes Italian Amaretti cookies what they are.) The dusting of Afghan salt makes them as irresistible as a great American peanut, but with a flavor all their own. Because they aren’t nuts—they’re the pits of sweet Afghan apricots—people with nut allergies can eat them. They’re super versatile—the little packets make them perfect airplane food. You can send them with your loved one (or yourself) to school or work. They’re a superb addition to salads. They’d be great in that Couscous and Apricot dish I wrote about last week, rather than almonds. Add ’em to granola, trail mix, or oatmeal. A lovely little addition to the wide mix of artisan foods that make up the Zingerman’s Community!

Pick up a pouch

P.S. The Deli doesn’t have the apricot kernels on their own, but they do have bags of Ziba’s terrific trail mix—apricot kernels along with the amazing Afghan Gurbandi almonds, Kishmish raisins, wild pistachios, and dried mulberries.

Special Bake from the Bakehouse on Friday, June 20!

One of my favorite cakes from the Bakehouse pastry kitchen, Summer Fling, will be out this weekend for what appears to be its only appearance of the year. That’s right—if you want some of this super scrumptious coffee cake, come by this weekend! Because they freeze so well, it’d be both wise and a wonderful move to buy a bunch and then bring them out when you need a bit of culinary sunshine as the days get shorter with the season!

What makes this special coffee cake so marvelous? Lime and coconut are, I think, a compelling combination. The quality of the ingredients—sour cream, coconut paste, flaked dried coconut, eggs, vanilla, and a good dose of lime oil makes a big difference as well. Long, slow toasting of the coconut helps to seal the culinary deal. Amy Emberling, co-managing partner of the Bakehouse and co-author of Zingerman’s Bakehouse, says,

The Summer Fling is one of our most versatile products—great with coffee or tea in the morning, lovely for a sweet afternoon snack, excellent after dinner. I love the texture of this cake. It’s moist and dense. I particularly love the name, reminding me of the distinctively different feel of summer socializing—more carefree and adventurous, disconnected from the real part of life, with a pre-determined end date, making unorthodox choices less risky.

The flavor lingers long and lovingly on your palate, so a little bit will go a long way! Very good with gelato from the Creamery. It’s also great fried up very lightly in a well-buttered skillet. Brad Hedeman from our Mail Order would spread it lavishly with some room-temperature Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter. Probably would make a marvelous milkshake, too, now that I think about it. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Bring a Summer Fling to your next meeting and make work that day into a bit of a party, or give one as an end-of-school-year gift to bus drivers, teachers, principals, or anyone else of whom you’re appreciative.

Helping to turn cloud-y days into a happy culinary surprise

In his compelling collection, The World Doesn’t End, poet Charles Simic once wrote, “If the sky falls, they shall have clouds for supper.” It has, of late, felt on some days like the metaphorical sky is falling, so it seems especially appropriate and smile-evoking to imagine then the beauty of eating one of these Lemon Clouds as part of your supper, or really any time of the day. They’re lovely, light, delicious, something really special from the Bakehouse team!

The Lemon Clouds are probably one of the most wonderful, but still little-known gems to be found at the Bakehouse. A delicate, all-butter pastry with a small, delicious bit of lemon curd made fresh by the talented folks in the pastry kitchen. The Lemon Clouds are sort of puffy and light, like one of those lovely white clouds floating across the Michigan sky on a nice summer day. Unlike the more commonly found overstuffed jelly donuts, Lemon Clouds are spread with just a light layer of the lemon curd. Enough to sweeten your day, but not enough to make you feel too full. 

The best way to eat one, I think, is to simply pick it up and take a nice bite—excellent in the morning with an espresso. I like them stuffed liberally with some of the fresh Bellwether Farms ricotta as an afternoon snack. If you like to mix fruit with your citrus, spread some of the apricot preserves inside. They’re also terrific with a drizzle of good olive oil—try a gentle, buttery one like the ROI from the Italian region of Liguria. 

At the Roadhouse, it’s not on the menu, but if we have Lemon Clouds on hand, you can order one split open and filled with a scoop of the Creamery’s wonderful vanilla gelato, topped with a bit of fresh whipped cream on the side. It’s a delicious way to sweeten up your day! And you can certainly do the same yourself at home. It would make a marvelous dessert to serve after the Apricot-Harissa Couscous dish!

Preorder your pastries

A sweet-spicy meal you can make at home in under 20 minutes

Sometimes small things we find can alter our sense of the world. The Mahjoub family’s hand-rolled, sun-dried couscous is one of those. I came upon their offerings at the Fancy Food Show in New York City—a place where one goes in great part to find new things. For almost 20 years now, the connection that came from that meeting has had a meaningful impact on both the ZCoB and the Mahjoubs. Their products are now integrated into nearly every ZCoB business. And without question, into my home cooking. I reference them more than once in the pamphlet “A Taste of Zingerman’s Food Philosophy.”

From the first day I tried it, I knew I’d found a new understanding of just how good couscous could be. I also learned just how easy it is to make. It is—even just eaten alone with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper—a remarkable meal. Basically, you bring water to a boil with a little sea salt, add couscous, stir, cover, and turn off the flame. Wait 12 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Eat up! You will find some of the tastiest couscous you’ve ever tried. 

To start this particular dish, cook a good amount of the Mahjoub’s M’hamsa (which means “by hand”) Couscous. When the couscous is done, gently take it out of the pan and put it into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, in a separate smaller bowl, make the vinaigrette. Mix a small bit of vinegar with a couple spoonfuls of the lovely Leelanau Apricot Preserves I wrote about last week from American Spoon Foods up in Petoskey. Add some great olive oil—we’re big lovers of the Mahjoub family’s organic extra virgin oil made from the uniquely Tunisian Chetoui olives. For obvious reasons, it’s an ideal ingredient for this dish! Add a bit of the Mahjoub’s spicy, superb Traditional Harissa. Alter the ratio of apricot preserves to harissa to get to the balance point of sweet and heat that’s right for you.

Add the vinaigrette to the couscous. Coarsely chop a fair bit of fresh parsley and fresh mint. Coarse chop some toasted hazelnuts. You can also use a different nut if you like—almonds, walnuts, or the Ziba baby pistachios we have from Afghanistan work really well. Add the nuts and the chopped herbs to the dish. Assess salt and pepper levels to your taste and adjust accordingly.

Pit some fresh, ripe apricots and break them into small bite-sized pieces. Add them to the dish. And add pieces of high-quality cooked chicken. If you have it grilled, all the better—the smoke from the grill goes well with the sweetness of the apricot and the happy heat of the harissa. Grilled shrimp would be good too!

This dish can be served hot for a main course or held at room temperature to serve as a salad. If you leave the meat out, it can be held without refrigerating for a while if you’re considering taking it on a picnic! Enjoy.

Pick up Les Moulins Mahjoub products at the Deli

Or let Mail Order ship them