Life of Spice: Toss up spring garden freshness in this Levantine salad
The taste of fresh, local produce that comes with spring and summer is something many of us crave all winter long. With the farmer’ s markets back in full swing and grocery shop signs boasting Ontario produce, I can get overzealous in stocking the of all kinds of veggies. In addition to the limited fridge space, the combination of greens, roots and other freshly- picked vegetables are not always the most obvious companions in a recipe.
My favourite solution for my vegetable conundrum is this simple, homemade vinaigrette that seems to go well with everything. The bright flavours of Za’ atar (a spice blend of sesame seeds, sumac, oregano, and thyme) combine with lots of fresh mint with lemon and olive oil. This recipe comes from ‘Fattoush’ , a colourful Levantine salad, for which the ingredient list is exceptionally adaptable to almost any assortment of vegetables.
For a little extra flair, serve the salad with toasted pita in place of croutons and little crumbled Feta on top.
Fattoush Salad
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed 3 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp Za’atar
1 tsp liquid honey
1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt
Pita chips:
1 pita, cut into 3 cm (appx) pieces 1⁄2 Tbsp olive oil
1⁄2 tsp sumac
1⁄4 sea salt (either fine or flaked)
Suggested salad ingredients:
1 English cucumber, chopped into 1.5 cm cube-like pieces
1-2 bell peppers (I like to combine red and orange for the colour), chopped into bite-size pieces
1⁄2 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
5-7 radishes, thinly sliced
1⁄4 head of iceberg lettuce, rinsed and chopped into appx. 2-3 cm pieces
1/3 cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped (Optional – Add in chopped celery, broccoli, chopped zucchini, and parsley)
Top with 1 – 2 Tbsp of crumbled Feta just before serving.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush both sides of the pita bread with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac and salt. Cut into pieces, spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Turn and bake for 4-5 minutes more until crisp.
While the pita chips are baking, combine all the salad dressing ingredients in a sealable jar and shake well. Toss the chopped vegetables together in a large bowl, adding the dressing a little bit at a time.
Let stand for 5-10 minutes, topping with pita chips and feta cheese (if using) just before serving. Serve on its own or with your protein of choice.
Which vegetables to include is where you can get really creative and riff on the recipe depending on what you have in your fridge. Add snap peas. Or steamed asparagus. Or sautéed mushrooms. With this salad dressing, anything goes!
The result is a wonderfully hearty, nutritious meal that makes space in the fridge for the next market visit.
Lindan Courtemanche is an enthusiastic cook and Founder of The Gorgeous Spice Company, www. thegorgeousspiceco.com.
