Maybe six months ago, I got an email from her. She had just found my email address in an old notebook. I replied saying, “You won’t believe this but I’m coming to Iran in April.” We had a few exchanges and she invited me to her house in Tehran for dinner. We determined a possible date and time. I crossed my fingers that it would work out.
We sat in the living room around a table full of delicious treats. Of course, I had to try everything. But I knew that dinner was coming, that it would no doubt be plentiful, and that I needed to save room. I was correct in my assessment and the dinner was truly delicious. In addition to what I've shown you below, there were three kinds of pickles: cabbage, eggplant, and garlic. So here we go.
Barley soup
Tomatoes and cucumbers
Cucumbers with yogurt, walnuts, and raisins
Fresh greens and herbs with radishes
This combination is more a palate-cleanser than a salad. It was served without salad dressing with many lunches and dinners.
Eggplant with kashk, walnuts and fried onions
This was one of my favorite dishes in Iran. Here's my version. Kashk is a yogurt product and is available in jars from a Persian deli.
Dolma made with grape leaves and with cabbage
Isn't that a beautiful arrangement?
Stew of lamb, split peas, and dried limes decorated with French fries
Here is my recipe for this wonderful dish called Lamb Khoresht with Split Peas and Fried Potatoes. It is so good.
Roasted chicken with green bean pilau
White and yellow rice
Gelatin dessert decorated with candies (like M&Ms)
Mind you, this was dinner for six people. We lingered over dessert and even longer at the door as I was leaving. I felt so enriched by the experience; I knew even then at the beginning of my trip that this would be one of its major highlights. And so it has been.
When I think about Iran, I see this wonderful family and wish so much for them. One the way back to the hotel, I asked her about freedom. She said that she tries to create freedom inside her so that no matter what is going on in the outside world, in her outside world, she will still be free. A wise and thoughtful answer, given circumstances in Iran. I can't help but hope that the outside world will allow her more freedom in the years ahead.
1 comment:
What a wonderful meal...chicken, lamb, grains, greens, cucumbers and tomatoes...I hope they value left-overs as much as Rick and I do.
Thanks you so much for sharing this tender evening with us.
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