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roya's culinary journey

food blog

October 18, 2016

Grilled Persimmon and Blueberry Salad with Feta Cheese & Macadamias

Grilled-Persimmon-Blueberry-Salad-With-Feta

Don’t we all just love to eat fruit in their most natural ripe and raw form? Especially during summer when it’s hot and we’re looking to quench our thirst on juicy bits of mother nature’s candy.

But as the weather is cooler and we’re just starting to put on light cardigans; I find myself drawn towards dishes with autumn fruit that have either been grilled, roasted, or baked. I think they just bring another dimension of flavor, with a combination of smoky charred surfaces and sticky caramelization.

Presenting… grilled sweet persimmon, salty feta, crunchy macadamias, and a tangy blueberry vinaigrette. A recipe for a deliciously light and tasty salad where fruit is the star of the show.

Now I’ve only managed to use my grill pan a couple of times this year. Mainly because I live in an apartment with a useless kitchen vent, and every attempt at grilling indoors has been this ridiculous juggling act of running back and forth fanning the smoke alarm, and violently swinging the main door back and forth to aerate the whole place! All thanks to my continued fears of the alarm going nuts AGAIN in the ENTIRE building, and having the security show up at my door. The worst was steak, but that’s another story… (and recipe!)

bilberry-grilled-persimmon

So back to the salad! With October being flooded with amazing pumpkin and squash recipes everywhere, I thought of diverting my attention to another seasonal fruit… the often overlooked persimmon. It’s sweet when ripe, firm to the touch, and pairs really well with savory or salty ingredients. It also doesn’t fall apart easily on the grill. I had a few more sachet of bilberry powder to make a vividly dark pink and tangy vinaigrette that looked beautiful on the salad greens.

So fire up that grill (you dare-devils you!), char a few persimmons and enjoy making this salad that happily covers all of your sweet, tangy, and savory taste buds.

And if you’re looking to get even more creative with the use of fruit in a sweet and savory way, check out my recipe for Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops with Blueberry-Thyme Compote and Butternut Squash Purée

Grilled Persimmon and Blueberry Salad with Feta & Macadamias

Created by Roya on October 18, 2016

This recipe was inspired for the use of bilberry powder. If it's not available in your area, you could double the amount of fresh blueberries for the vinaigrette.

  • Prep Time: 15m
  • Cook Time: 20m
  • Total Time: 35m
  • Category: Gluten-Free, Plant-based, Salads & Sides

Ingredients

Salad

  • 3/4 c fresh blueberries
  • 4 - 5 medium Persimmons (firm and not overly ripe or bruised)
  • 1 packet mixed salad greens
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and placed in a bowl of cold water
  • 1/4 c crumbled feta
  • 1 tbsp. high heat oil (eg. Grapeseed)

Blueberry Vinaigrette

  • 1 sachet bilberry powder
  • 10 blueberries
  • 1/2 small shallot
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Candied Nuts*

  • 1/2 cup raw macadamias**
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • pinch sea salt
  • pinch black pepper

Note

  • * If you're looking to skip additional sweetness, you could skip this part and only toast the nuts over a dry pan for a delicious crunch
  • ** Feel free to use any whole nut you prefer such as pecans, almonds, or walnuts. Just adjust the quantities / ratio of honey with the smaller nuts

Instructions

Bilberry Vinaigrette

  1. In a small blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend finely to create a smooth dressing.
  2. Transfer to a jar, cover, and chill in the fridge.

Candied Nuts*

  1. Preheat the oven to 175C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, mix together the sweetener, salt, and pepper. Toss with the nuts and mix to combine.
  3. Spread the nuts out on the baking sheet and roast for 7-10 minutes keeping an eye out not to burn them
  4. Remove and set aside to cool and get crisp. Place the nuts on a chopping board (or plastic bag) and crush some to get some bite size chunks.

Persimmons

  1. Remove the stems from the persimmons and slice them in half. Cut each half into 4 wedges to create a total of 8 wedges per persimmon.
  2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high until almost smoking
  3. Brush each persimmon side with oil and place them onto the sizzling grill, do not over-crowd or move them once they're on the grill.
  4. Sear them for about 2-3 minutes, lift with a tong to check one for grill marks, then flip over and grill on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
  5. Remove them onto a plate and set aside to cool.

To arrange the salad

  1. Drain the onions and pat dry.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the salad greens, onions, and most of the persimmons and blueberries. Add a few spoons of the vinaigrette over, and toss lightly to combine.
  3. Spread the mixture out onto a large platter, top with the rest of the blueberries and persimmons, crumbled feta, a handful of candied nuts, and drizzle more of the delicious bilberry vinaigrette on top.
  • Print

Filed Under: Gluten-free, Salads & Sides Tagged With: bilberry, blueberry, persimmon, recipe development, salad, vinaigrette

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christina says

    November 27, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    I’m unable to find bilberry powder in my area. Any alternatives?

    Reply
    • Roya says

      November 28, 2019 at 11:38 am

      Hi Christina. Bilberry is similar to a freeze dried blueberry powder but slightly more tart, as it yields a concentrated flavour and colour. Alternatives would be either more fresh blueberries or sundried blueberries, or even a blueberry or blackberry jam, but you’ll then need adjust the acidity with the vinegar to get the right balance for a vinaigrette, and most likely omit the extra honey. I hope this helps, let me know how it works out for you.

      Reply

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Taking a moment to say hello with one heck of a ma Taking a moment to say hello with one heck of a massive bouquet of our home grown chard taken last year, which was quite successful.
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This year on the other hand, not so much as we've been dealing with quite a bit of pests unfortunately...
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I must admit it's been quite challenging with both Boris and I having some insanely long work nights and coming to find out over the weekend that there had been some major garden bug attacks on literally everything... fig trees, tomatoes, basil, rocket, and strawberries.
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It so sux! And just goes to show that constant care and diligence is so important. Adding to that our community is constantly spraying pesticides and critters have nowhere else to go to feast, so our garden was quite the picnic.
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Hoping to do some damage control soon and get someone in to help us figure a few things out. If any of my Dubai peeps have any leads, please send them my way, I'd appreciate it! 🙏❤

Thanks friends!
Roya xoxo
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#organicuae #organicdubai #growyourfood #chard #eatyourveggies #makeitdelicious #gardentotable #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #feedyoursoul #foodblogfeed #foodfluffer #foodiegram #foodphotographyandstyling #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #moodygrams #ihavethisthingfordarkness #darkfoodphotography @foodartblog #hautescuisines @hautescuisines @thefeedfeed @cuisine_creations #cuisine_creations #pinkladysnapsapr21 @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward
"Hey Roya! we have an awesome X project coming up "Hey Roya! we have an awesome X project coming up and we would love for you to be part of it! You available?!" 🤩🤩🤩
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"Hey guys! sounds exciting, sure can! When's it due?" 🤑🤑🤑
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"Yesterdaaaay!!!." 🤣🤣🤣
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I thought that leaving corporate culture 6 years ago that I would somehow bypass such panic-indusing scenarios... you know, cause now I'm "doing my own thing" and organising my own schedule and workload... turns out that all pretty much FLIES OUT THE WINDOW right before Ramadan! Oh the naivety.

Remember all these Persian and Iraqi recipes that I've been planning to post and share with you? Well... they will either not happen OR come barging down all at once! 🤦‍♀️.

In the meantime, sharing a shot of the layering of Loobia Polo, or green bean rice before covering and steaming.
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Hope you guys are doing well! I'll pop in soon again.

Love, Roya x
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@creativelysquared #cs_texture2021
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#onourcreativetable #ooctmessy @onourcreativetable @haniyeh.nikoo @bakingmydays @violaminerva
@panyaskitchen @lionelandhetta
@story_on_a_plate_ @berryhunting
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#healthyrecipe #greenbeans #ramadanrecipes #eatyourveggies #arabicfood #persianfood #iranianfood #middleeasternfood #feedfeed #makeitdelicious #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #feedyoursoul #foodblogfeed #foodfluffer #foodiegram #foodphotographyandstyling #gloobyfood #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #moodygrams @foodartblog #hautescuisines @hautescuisines @thefeedfeed @cuisine_creations #cuisine_creations #pinkladysnapsmar21 @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward
Eggplant recipes in the making and this one was in Eggplant recipes in the making and this one was inspired by a Japanese side dish known as Nasu Dengaku. A flavour combo that I love so much and have had at several sushi joints.
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Imagine a glaze of garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime, toasted sesame oil, and miso... except I used tahini instead cause I had a full tub in the pantry. Brushed over eggplant and roasted! So easy to prepare, and flavours are insaaane friends!
😍😍😍

Saved the method for you guys in highlights.
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@creativelysquared #cs_texture2021
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#eggplant #makeitdelicious #eatyourveggies #foodphotographyandstyling #foodfluffer #foodartblog #produceisbeautiful #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #foodiegram @foodartblog #eatwelllivewell #darkfoodphotography #eattheworld #feedyoursoul #darkfoodphoto #foodphotography #foodstyling #foooodieee #foodphotoshoot #platedpictures #foodfluffer #artoffood #foodphotographyandstyling #feedfeed @hautescuisines @beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #beautifulcuisines
Today's we're celebrating a virtual party hosted b Today's we're celebrating a virtual party hosted by @cosetteskitchen to celebrate 'Culture Within Our Food'... a lovely initiative that involves food bloggers, creatives, and cooks from all over as we get to share with you a piece of our heritage through recipes and stories.
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Being a daughter of an Iraqi mother and an Iranian father, I have a mad love for both cuisines and while I couldn't decide on which recipe to share today, I decided to bring you back to one of my favourite scenes... A day where I gathered my family for a kaleidoscope of an Iraqi picnic in the backyard.
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It was a feast to remember as we enjoyed a variety of sandwiches... from "guss" which is our version of shawarma nestled in special diamond-shaped samoon bread, to boiled Eggs with amba... a spicy pickled mango sauce. Finger foods like "kabab tawa" of pan-fried minced meat and vegetable fritters, "potato chap" croquettes and "kubbat halab" which are some of the most iconic of all appetisers in Iraqi cuisine.
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Finishing off with addictive "kleicha" date and cardamom cookies, "gaymar wa dibis" which is a rich, buffalo-milk clotted cream eaten with date syrup and hot bread, and always hot istikans of chai.

Experiences like this are truly meant to be shared in person, amongst friends, families, and all those with a curious appetite and a love for diversity. I hope that someday I'll be able to bring such experiences to life.
🙏🙏🙏
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In the meantime, you can always find some of my recipes in highlights, and for a glimpse of some wonderful dishes being shared today, do check out the hashtag #culturewithinourfood.

Much love my friends,
Roya.
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@creativelysquared #cs_texture2021
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#onourcreativetable #ooctmessy @onourcreativetable @haniyeh.nikoo @bakingmydays @violaminerva
@panyaskitchen @lionelandhetta
@story_on_a_plate_ @berryhunting
 #middleeaste  #makeitdelicious
🌿🌿🌿 Norouz or "new day" is upon us, which 🌿🌿🌿 Norouz or "new day" is upon us, which marks the beginning of the Persian New Year and first day of spring.

A very joyous festival that's celebrated over 13 days where everyone gathers around to embrace the change of the seasons, visit friends and families, spring clean the house, and feast on beautiful food centred around plenty of herbs and greens.

This Sabzi Polo, or herbed rice dish is one that is commonly prepared that celebrates the abundance of spring. Loaded with fresh dill, parsley, coriander, and spring onions, and served alongside citrusy fish, shirazi salad, and minty yogurt.

I know that this year continues to be one that is falling short on celebrations with families and friends, but here's to wishing you all a Happy Norouz.

Resharing this Sabzi Polo recipe from last year, up in stories.

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Lots of love,
Roya 
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@creativelysquared #cs_texture2021
#norouz #nowruz #persianfood #persiannewyear #sabzipolo #stilllifefoodphotography #eatwelllivewell #tablesituation #makeitdelicious #darkfoodphotography #still_life_mood #eattheworld #feedyoursoul #darkfoodphoto #foodphotography #foodstyling #foooodieee #foodphotoshoot #instafood #platedpictures #foodfluffer #artoffood #foodphotographyandstyling #feedfeed #bonappetitmag #hautescuisines #beautifulcuisines #visualstorytelling #foodphotoshoot #beautifulcuisines #pinkladysnapsmar21 @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @beautifulcuisines @hautescuisines
. Persian Lentil Rice / Adas Polo / عدس پلو .
Persian Lentil Rice / Adas Polo / عدس پلو

Ahhh the jewels of Persian cuisine... when rice, lentils, black currants, nuts, and dates come together in a savory-sweet melody of flavors and textures.
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With fragrant notes of orange peel, rose petals, cinnamon, and saffron, these ingredients may feel like they belong to winter, but with Ramadan around the corner, those are just the type of flavours that one craves.
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How do you like sweet-savoury dishes? Is it common in your cooking, or just an occasional indulgence?
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@creativelysquared #cs_texture2021
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@vaimomatskuu #texthursdays
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#onourcreativetable #ooctmessy @onourcreativetable @haniyeh.nikoo @bakingmydays @violaminerva
@panyaskitchen @lionelandhetta
@story_on_a_plate_ @berryhunting
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#adaspolo #ramadanrecipes #eatyourveggies #arabicfood #persianfood #persiancuisine #middleeasternfood #feedfeed #foodgawker #makeitdelicious #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #feedyoursoul #foodblogfeed #foodfluffer #foodiegram #creativityfound #foodphotographyandstyling #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @hautescuisines @thefeedfeed @cuisine_creations #cuisine_creations @bonappetitmag @saveurmag
The calm before the storm... desperately trying to The calm before the storm... desperately trying to manage both personal and work projects before Ramadan and Noruz has been a tad stressful to say the least. 😶 But I've got this Lubia Polo / Green Bean Rice / لوبیا پلو recipe video in the making and it's a keeper.
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A deliciously popular yet humble Iranian rice dish with lots of layers of lamb, green beans, tomatoes, and rice steam-cooked together with a key flavor coming from musky dried limes which I LOVE so much. Can you spot them? 👀

Happening soon.
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@peaceofbake
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@creativelysquared #cs_texture2021
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#onourcreativetable #ooctmessy @onourcreativetable @haniyeh.nikoo @bakingmydays @violaminerva
@panyaskitchen @lionelandhetta
@story_on_a_plate_ @berryhunting
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#healthyrecipe #ramadanrecipes #eatyourveggies #arabicfood #persianfood #iranianfood #middleeasternfood #feedfeed #foodgawker #makeitdelicious #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #feedyoursoul #foodblogfeed #foodfluffer #foodiegram #creativityfound #foodphotographyandstyling #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #moodygrams @foodartblog #hautescuisines @hautescuisines @thefeedfeed @cuisine_creations #cuisine_creations
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Fattet Beitinjan / Eggplant Casserole فتة باذنجان.

A Middle-Eastern dish of fried eggplant with tomatoes and pomegranate molasses, spiced minced lamb (or chickpeas!), garlicky tahini yogurt, and toasted pine nuts all layered together on crispy pita bread.
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It's heavely and addictive and one of those dishes that waits for no one. Once you layer those beautiful ingredients together, you gotta serve it while the bread is still super crispy.
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While typically this dish has a whole lot of frying happening with the eggplants and bread (cause its hella delicious!), I've decided to go the roasting route so I can give my expanding waistline a break. And guess what, flavours are just as moorish.
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A wonderful sharing type of dish that's coming soon before Ramadan to IGTV.

Where's my eggplant tribe at?! ❤
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@creativelysquared #cs_texture2021
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#healthyrecipe #ramadanrecipes #eatyourveggies #arabicfood #middleeasternfood #feedfeed #foodgawker #makeitdelicious #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #feedyoursoul #foodblogfeed #foodfluffer #foodiegram #creativityfound #foodphotographyandstyling #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #moodygrams #beautifulcuisines @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @hautescuisines @thefeedfeed @cuisine_creations #cuisine_creations @bonappetitmag @saveurmag
I have dreams of writing, photographing, and desig I have dreams of writing, photographing, and designing a family cookbook. One with personal stories and memories that involves family members from both my Iraqi and Iranian heritage, as we cook and share recipes together.
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My Aunt Nada is known for her melt-in your mouth Dolma, my Amma Fakhriya for her Persian Tahchin chicken with zereshk, my cousin Rawa makes a killer Iraqi-style biryani, and my mom Khulood has a signature salmon dish with spicy coriander-tomato sauce that EVERYONE asks for at gatherings. And that’s just a small glimpse.
🫑🫑🫑
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I had this revelation last year during lockdown in the US for 4 and a half months, after losing my beloved uncle that left the family in a devastated heartache. I was living at my aunt and cousin’s home and the one thing that helped keep our spirits up was for us to cook together. Amongst the grief, we managed to find some solace and joy, as I shared some of these dishes with you in stories.
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With today being International Women’s Day, I wanted to re-share this moment with my aunt, mom, and cousin as we prepared dolma together… a treasured communal dish of stuffed onions, peppers, chard, and grape leaves.

Our moms are a constant reminder of strength, perseverance, and survival. The stories and experiences shared with us, their kids, of the strive for a better life than the one we were born into during the Iraqi-Iranian war, is a reminder of who we are, where we come from, but most importantly about family values. I hope to preserve these memories through food someday.
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Wishing these cherished women in my life, and to all of you that I’ve met and connected with both personally and virtually, a wonderful and beautiful day, everyday.

Much love,
Roya
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#internationalwomensday #womensday2021 #everythingiraqi #everythingiraq @everythingiraqi #iraqidiaspora @iraqi_diaspora #iraqicuisine #arabicfood #iraqifood #dolma #soulfood #dubaifoodblogger #foodblogfeed #familyrecipes #creativityfound #gloobyfood #foodphotoshoot #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #feedfeed #foodgawker #wherewomencreate #dubaifoodphotography #feedyoursoul #foodphotographyandstyling #cookingwithlove #foodblogf
Eggplant... you either love it or hate it! and I'm Eggplant... you either love it or hate it! and I'm definitely on team love when it's done right.
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Been discovering and testing different types of eggplants from the more common large round variety, and I've fallen in love with these gorgeous locally grown organic pink graffiti and purple Japanese variety. The pink ones tend to have fewer seeds with a wonderful creamy texture that is fantastic to grill on the BBQ. Where as the long purple kind is just perfect for high heat roasting or fried into crispy addictive chips.
💜🤍💗💜🤍💗

Head on over to stories to see what simple frikin deliciousness I got up to with one of these beauties.
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But do let me know... what's your favourite way to eggplant? And if you're not a fan, do share your horror story! 😄
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@emiratesbiofarm #emiratesbiofarm #foodiegram #makeitdelicious #fromfarmtotable #farmtofork #localfarms #organicuae #eatyourveggies #foodphotographyandstyling #foodfluffer #foodartblog #produceisbeautiful #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #foodiegram #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsmar21 @foodartblog @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines
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I'm Roya. A food creative with a passion for cooking, photographing and styling food for a delicious living. Read More…

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