Maroque's 6th Birthday Newsletter
Welcome to Maroque's birthday newsletter: another year has flown by and we are now the grand old age of six! Wow, and what a year! Lots of lovely new things online, I launched my first cook book, it has been great to see more people at our showroom, and I still have lots of plans for the future! But, like most of retail, a tougher year ahead I think.
Autumn is when I think Moroccan interiors can come into their own, the soft glow of henna, sunset coloured fabrics and twinkling lamps can give a room such a welcoming feel. I have some great tomato recipes to use up your surplus, a little bit about some site changes, and of course a very big THANK YOU, as we wouldn't be six without your support.
The warm glow of a Moroccan sunset
In Morocco, as the evenings draw in, the fires are lit to keep the chill out, and dancing fire light across warm terracotta coloured walls, shadow patterns from candle filled lanterns, and warm coloured fabrics add an amazing cosy feel to the room.
You can create a similar effect at home with a Moroccan sunset silk throw over a sofa and a soft glowing goat skin lamp, hand painted with henna, or a candle filled lantern in the corner of your room projecting its lovely patterns across your walls. Any of these can transform your room in an instant, adding that warm Moroccan cosy glow.
Tomatoes, tomatoes and more tomatoes
With such a wet summer (wasn't it terrible!) the garden has been poorer this year but the tomatoes in my greenhouse have gone mad. I have never tried so many ways with tomatoes; Moroccans have a huge range of recipes that use tomatoes, and I have listed a couple of my favourites below.
Tomato and harissa sauce (great with grilled fish)
This simple sauce has a lovely kick (depending on the amount of harrisa) and is great with grilled fish or chicken.
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp harrisa (more or less, depending on your taste), either from a jar or paste made up fresh
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp sugar
400g fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp green olives, chopped
squeeze of lemon juice
1. Heat the oil in a fairly large saucepan, stir in the onions and cook until soft and begin to colour. Add the garlic and cook gently for a minute.
2. Add the harissa, cinnamon stick and the tomatoes. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes. Add a little sugar if the tomates need it.
3. Add the olives and stir well, simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce has a nice consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grilled or pan fried fish or chicken.
Serves 4
Couscous stuffed tomatoes
These are great as a starter or a light lunch with a green salad.
Ingredients
4 large tomatoes or 8 smaller ones
150g couscous
1/4 tsp salt
150ml warm vegetable stock
4 tbsp olive oil + extra for drizzling
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
pinch of sugar
2 tsp ras el hanout
bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 180C gas mark 4. Put the couscous in a bowl, stir in the warm stock and salt, and stir until all the stock has been absorbed. Set aside for 10 minutes and then mix 1 tbs of olive oil into the couscous. It's best to use your fingers, as this breaks up the lumps and gives the couscous its light texture.
2. Slice the top off each tomato and reserve. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds and add to a bowl. In a saucepan heat the remaining oil and fry the onions and carrots until golden brown and soft. Stir in the tomato pulp, the ras el hanout and a pinch of sugar, stir well. Cook until it forms a thick sauce. Season to taste.
3. Tip the spicy tomato mixture onto the couscous and mix well. Add the fresh coriander and preserved lemon and mix well. Spoon into the cavity of the tomoatos and pop the reserved lids back on top. Put the filled tomatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, less if they are smaller. Either serve hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4
Site update
We have had a bit of a site spruce up! I've added a few new bits, some extra images, some more information about us, and taken a little bit more time to explain how we work with Morocco, as well as a section on where we have been featured in the press. I would love your feed back.
We have some lovely new mirrors and lamps, as well as a few new foodie bits and our full range of gorgeous Les Sens de Marrakech body products back in stock.
A very big thank you
What better time than our birthday to say a very big THANK YOU to all my customers. I would be delighted to offer a 10% discount on all items across our range, including Bhatik, from now until the end of September. All you have to do is type MAR06 into the offer code box at the checkout page.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions I would love to hear from you. Please email info@maroque.co.uk
Kind regards
Julie Woodard
Maroque