just because…

It has been far too long since I last posted here, and although I missed it,  my mind has been filling up and spilling over.  So I stop and start in this space, reluctantly abandoning it, vowing to return later when the flow is complete and coherent.

And now…

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Since our move here, there has been chaos and calmness. There have been rough winds and still days, and finally, it has settled, and that sense of quiet inside has returned.

After my first two weeks in Portugal, one of the many things I missed from Israel was the wonderful salads. These salads are loaded with a freshly chopped mixture of raw vegetables doused in good-quality olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon, and the typical Israeli vibrant-green flourish of fresh herbs. They make a wonderful bowl of raw, earthy goodness for brunch, lunch, or dinner, served with hummus, sourdough bread or pita, and good olive oil.

I make this salad in Summer when I can pick small, crunchy cucumbers straight from the garden, a few sun-warmed tomatoes, and handfuls of freshly picked herbs. The vegetables must be fresh, ripe, and flavoursome.

ISRAELI SALAD WITH A GREEN HERB TAHINI DRESSING

serves 4 – 6

You can use any vegetables on hand or in season if they are fresh and finely chopped.  Add a handful of toasted nuts and seeds or crumble in salty dry feta cheese.  Use whatever herbs inspire you – parsley, thyme, dill, tarragon, mint, coriander, or a combination.

ingredients 

1 medium fennel bulb

1 medium carrot

4 Lebanese or mini cucumbers (don’t use big cucumbers)

8 small cherry tomatoes

1 cup small bitter leaves

¼ cup fresh herbs (parsley, coriander, dill and/or mint), finely chopped

a few glugs of good quality cold-pressed olive oil

1 Tbsp za´atar

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

prepare the vegetables

  1. Slice the base off the fennel and remove the first fibrous outer leaf. Then, cut the bulb in half lengthways. Place each half, cut side down, and cut lengthways into fine shards—the slices should be almost paper-thin (a mandoline slicer is helpful for this). Peel and chop all remaining vegetables into the tiniest cubes you can manage—approximately 3 mm cubes.
  2. Mix all the vegetables, leaves, and herbs in a large, earthy salad bowl. Drizzle with good quality cold-pressed olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the za´atar. Set aside while you make the tahini dressing.

GREEN HERB TAHINI DRESSING

Inspired by Whole Food Cooking Every Day.

ingredients

½ cup/115g tahini  (I prefer the hulled lighter tahini)

½ cup/100g water

2 Tbsp/25g lemon juice

¼ tsp fine rock salt

1 cup/30g fresh parsley leaves

1 cup/30g fresh coriander leaves

½ cup/6g fresh mint leaves

preparation

  1. Combine the tahini, water, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and process until the mixture is pourable, adding extra water if necessary.
  2. Add the parsley, coriander, and mint and process again until the herbs are broken down. Taste and add lemon or salt if needed.

serve

  • When serving, allow each individual to pour the dressing over their salad serving.
  • Lovely served with oven-baked crunchy pita’s, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar.

Goodness shared from Stacey