Green Almonds & Sour Plums from Iran

One of the things I look forward to in May is the arrival of green almonds at the Iranian deli/market in Minneapolis.  A few years ago I was exploring the aisles and shelves of the Persian pantry & I came across some fresh produce – which included a pile of unrecognizable and significant looking fuzzy things.  They were green almonds, and the grocer invited me to taste one, pointing out that they were available only for a very short window each year – and therefore a delicacy.

So after a few years of arriving in May so I could taste them again and again, today I found out that there’s yet another delicacy – sour plums (Gojeh Sabz).  They are closely related to apricots.  The grocer said that people like to put them in salads, or snack on them as appetizers.  I also discovered a few interesting links dealing with green almonds, from Israel to Morocco:

Gojeh Sabz ~ Persian Sour Plums

http://www.applepiepatispate.com/main-course/lamb-fava-beans-green-almonds/

http://www.israelikitchen.com/eating-local/green-almonds-mean-springtime/

How to Prepare Green Almonds

Here is the Bistro/market where I buy them:  http://www.caspianbistro-mn.com/

I like the sour plums (watch out for the tiny pits) dipped in a dab of salt – they are mouth-puckering & delicious.

And for fans of durable kitchenware – I found a treasure – an ancient Mezzaluna at an estate sale for $5.  I shined it up and restored its blade, but it is going to take me some practise to get good at using it well.