Labneh is a soft cheese made from yogurt and popular in the Middle East. It’s super easy to make, and a good introduction for anyone wanting to have a go at cheese-making. Experiment with adding different dried herbs or freshly ground pepper. Here we serve it with sweet roasted carrots and another of our store-cupboard essentials – a homemade dukkah, great for sprinkling over salads or roasted vegetables for added taste and texture.

serves [2] 4

LABNEH

500ml yoghurt
1/2 tsp salt

Combine salt and the yoghurt and mix well. Line a sieve with a thin cloth or muslin. Transfer the yoghurt mixture to the sieve and place a bowl underneath to catch the whey.

Leave in the fridge overnight to drain. In the morning, you should have a firm, tangy lump of yoghurt-y cheese.

DUKKAH

Dukkah is a traditional Egyptian seasoning or condiment typically consisting of toasted and ground nuts, seeds and spices, depending on taste and what is available. It is used with olive oil as a dip for bread, as a crusty coating for meat or fish, or a sprinkling over salads, dips, soups or vegetables. We encourage you to try out your own combinations, but this time we are using:

Equal parts of:
Fennel seeds
Coriander seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Salt to taste

To make the dukkah, add all your seeds and spices to a dry pan and place on a medium heat. Toast gently for 5 minutes, tossing the seeds occasionally to prevent them from burning. Remove from the heat, add a little salt and smash up to create your dukkah. This will keep for 1 month in a sealed container. View the How To video on youtube.

CARROTS

[4] 8 medium carrots, peeled, washed and split lengthwise
[75ml] 150ml whey, drained from labneh
[1 tsp] 2 tsp honey
[25ml] 50ml olive oil
[1] 2 bay leaves
[1] 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
[½ tsp] 1 tsp chopped preserved lemon skin

TO SERVE
1 portion of LABNEH, made the night before (see recipe)
1 portion of DUKKAH (see recipe)

Firstly combine all the ingredients in a bowl except the carrots, labneh and dukkah. Toss the carrots in the mixture and add to a heavy-based pot.

Cook on a medium heat, turning the carrots to achieve an even glaze and colour. As the liquid evaporates the carrots shall soften and take on a great flavour. Don’t cook too long, they should still have a slight bite. If they are large and still hard you can add a little water but you should end up with a glaze rather than liquid left in the pot. Set to one side.

Arrange the carrot on top of the LABNEH and garnish with the DUKKAH.

This recipe is shared as part of the Good Food Club. We are very grateful for funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, distributed by the Landworkers’ Alliance, which has allowed us to offer a pilot of the Good Food Club this year. Thanks to National Lottery players for making this possible.