Muhammara

Photo: flickr user scaredy_kat

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds Red bell peppers

2 smalls Hot chilies

(such as Fresno, Hot Hungarian)

1/2 cup Wheat crackers crumbled

1 1/2 cups Walnuts - (abt 6 oz) coarsely ground

1 tablespoon Lemon juice

3 tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

Salt to taste

2 teaspoons Olive oil

2 lrg Pitas cut into 8 wedges, and toasted

Preparation

Preheat the grill. Roast the peppers and chiles over the grill or open flame until they are blistered, about 8 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes to loosen the skin. Peel off the skin and remove the seeds. Pat the peppers dry with a paper towel.

In the work bowl of your food processor, combine and process the crackers, walnuts, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, and sugar, until smooth. Add the red peppers and process until creamy. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the chile pepper and salt to taste. If it is too thick, thin with a few tablespoons of water.

Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to mellow. Serve with the toasted pita wedges.

This recipe yields about 3 cups and provides for 16 appetizer servings.