Muhammara Spiced tomato relish

Serves 6–8
2 red bell peppers
¾ cup walnuts
¾ cup hazelnuts
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 fresh red jalapeño or serrano chili, seeded
and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
½ cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1Heat a grill pan or broiler until very hot. Grill the peppers, turning often, until
the skin is blistered and charred on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and cover
tightly with plastic wrap. (The trapped moisture makes it easier to peel off the
blackened skin.) When cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin;
then halve and remove any seeds and membrane. Coarsely chop the flesh.
2Process the walnuts and hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.
Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, chili, garlic, cayenne, cumin, and
pomegranate molasses. Work into a smooth paste. With the motor running,
gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream, as if you were making a
mayonnaise. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little of the lemon juice.
Once all the oil has been incorporated, process in the remaining lemon juice.
3Serve at room temperature as a dip with lots of hot fresh pita bread, or
as one of many dishes as part of a mezze selection. If making in advance,
refrigerate until needed. It will keep up to 5 days, and over time the flavors will
only become more vibrant.