SALAD WITH FRESH ZA’ATAR, ORANGE, POMEGRANATE AND LEBANE
For the Lebane
2 cups whole milk plain yogurt
1 teaspoon fine salt
For the Salad
1 cup fresh za’atar leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
8 radicchio leaves, 4 finely julienned and 4 left whole
1 head of Boston lettuce, torn into 2-inch pieces
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 navel orange, peel and pits removed and cut into bite-sized sections
1 blood orange, peel and pits removed and cut into bite-sized sections
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons dried za’atar spice mixture
For the Dressing
Juice of 1 meyer lemon
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
Sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon wildflower honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
To make lebane, mix the yogurt and salt. Put yogurt mixture in a cheesecloth and place in a strainer for 24 hours, or until crumbly. It should resemble the consistency and appearance of goat cheese.
In a bowl, mix fresh za’atar leaves, red onion, julienned radicchio leaves, Boston lettuce, orange sections and toasted pine nuts.
Prepare dressing in a separate bowl. Dissolve salt, orange blossom water and honey in meyer lemon juice, then slowly wisk in extra virgin olive oil.
Add dressing to salad mixture. Place whole radicchio leaves in salad plates and use as a cup to hold the salad mixture.
Top each plate with crumbled lebane and sprinkle with dried za’atar.
Yield: 4 servings
ZA’ATAR TOAST BITES
1 cup olive oil
1 cup dried za’atar spice mixture
1 pound sliced crusty Italian bread (can substitute pita bread), cut into bite-size triangles
Mix za’atar spice with olive oil, stir well.
Brush a thick layer of the za’atar and oil mixture over the top side of the bread pieces. Place in a tray and toast until crispy. Serve hot.
Yield: 25-30 pieces
Also, check out this recipe for za’atar bread (aka manakish) topped with feta and parsley from Cathy Erway’s Blog “Not Eating Out on New York”:
http://noteatingoutinny.com/2008/03/10/zataar-bread-with-feta-and-parsley/
Click here to read my article about the socio-political aspects of za’atar
