Skip to main content

We invited Linda, a member of the community curator group to devise a simple relish, sauce or pickle that we could make collectively.  We discussed a sauce where the majority of the ingredients could be grown over the months of August and September in a variety of different sized planters – from window boxes to hanging baskets, patio pots and garden beds.

As we met at Deeplish community centre, Linda shared a recipe for Zough – a spicy green sauce that can be an accompaniment to sweet potatoes, used as a dressing on salads, drizzled over pasta or eaten with bread. Linda made the sauce with the group, with different people chopping various ingredients amidst lively discussions on how many chillies and how much garlic would be better, before sharing together over a lunch of cheese, bread and salad.

At the end of the session, everyone took away either some coriander seeds, parsley seeds or a chili plant to grow over the rest of the summer. When we meet in September, we will make a version of the Zough with our collective herb harvest.

A recipe for Zough:

Ingredients:

  • Half a bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
  • A handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
  • The juice of one lemon
  • 2 green chillies (or 4 depending on your preference)
  • 1 garlic clove (or 2 depending on your preference)
  • ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon of caster sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

  • Blend all the ingredients with 1 tablespoon of water and ½ teaspoon of sea salt until smooth

Serve with eggs and tomatoes or drizzle on baked sweet potatoes topped with whipped feta or yoghurt. Add to grilled meats, wraps, falafel, salads or hummus. Great as a marinade or with fish, or in soups. Mix into labneh to make a delicious dip for sweet potatoes, fries or raw vegetables. Once made, keep in the fridge for up to three days.