Caramelized Apricots & Lighvan Cheese Bruschetta

Author Notes

Apricots or zard ālū (Persian: زردآلو) have been cultivated in Persia since antiquity, and dried ones were an important commodity on Persian trade routes. Apricots still remain an important fruit in modern day Iran, and now we're the second world producer after Turkey according to FAOSTAS. There is also a type of Apricots called Gheysi (Persian: قیسی) growing in some of the Iranian cities such as Kerman, Azerbaijan & Bardaskan. Gheysi is a very sweet and pleasent type of Apricot which I prefer to use for this recipe. (If you can not find a sweet apricot, use a little bit of brown sugar in recipe.) There are not that many different types of cheese in Iran, contrary to yogurt which comes in all different varieties. We have some few traditional cheeses which we generally call Panir. The most famous one is definitely Lighvan or Panir-e Lighvān (Persian: لیقوان‎‎) that is produced from sheep's milk and has a characteristic slightly sour flavor, tiny holes, and a good fat content. I love the sweetness of the apricots with Lighvan cheese, and then salt & pepper to balance it; you can not choose whether it is a dessert or not! It's playful. The caramelized juicy apricots and the extra virgin olive oil give the toasted bread the softness it needs for a joyful bite, and the fresh & young green beetroot break the sweetness and enhance the flavors. It's also the easiest, serve it as you wish, give it a try, warm or cold, dish. But I already know you're gonna fall in love with it! —Noghlemey