Kohlrabi, sorrel, radish & chicory salad

Ingredients

For the tkemali

• 1.5kg yellow and red alycha plums (or greengages or ordinary plums)
• ½ tbsp dried mint
• ½ tbsp dill seeds (or ½ tsp fennel seeds)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground blue fenugreek
• 5 cloves of garlic, grated
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• Sea salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 50g tkemali
• Honey, to taste, if needed

For the salad

• 2 heads of chicory, sliced lengthways into 8 wedges
• 1 kohlrabi, peeled and thinly sliced
• 50g radishes, thinly sliced
• 25g sorrel leaves (or watercress)

Equipment

• 4 x 300 ml sterilised jars

Method

To make the tkemali, put the whole plums into a saucepan. Add a splash of water and let them come to the boil. Cook for about 10 mins until soft and they separate easily from their stones.

Leave the plums until cool enough to handle, then remove the skins and stones. Mix the plum flesh with the rest of the ingredients, season to taste and cook for a further 2 mins.

While the sauce is still hot, transfer it to the sterilised jars, seal the jars and immerse them in a deep saucepan of simmering water for a few minutes. Then store in a cool, dark place all winter or, if eating straight away, keep in the refrigerator.

For the dressing, mix the molasses through the tkemali then taste, adding some salt or a little honey if you think it’s too tart. It should really taste strong and pack a punch.

Toss the chicory, kohlrabi and radishes in a bowl, then arrange in a serving dish with the sorrel leaves (or watercress) and serve with the dressing drizzled over.

Image: Elena Heatherwick

Recipe from Kaukasis: The Cookbook by Olia Hercules (Mitchell Beazley)