Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I have tried the za'atar from Penzey's and it's quite good - but I might try making my own since I now have the sumac and it would be fun to play around with it. I make a seasoned salt with za'atar which has become my go to seasoning for vegetables when I'm not feeling imaginative.

Lindsay,
I added some sumac to the spice blend in this recipe. It made more than needed for the salad and I was sprinkling it on just about everything (spinach!).


Arugula Watermelon Salad with Israeli-Style Spices | The Sp... http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/ar ... elon-sal...
The Splendid Table

1 of 2
by Sally Swift
iStockphoto
The Spice Blend
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons shelled pistachios 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
The Salad
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
5-6 tablespoons of oil
6 cups cleaned arugula
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups watermelon, chopped into 2-inch chunks 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
11.07.13 15:17
Arugula Watermelon Salad with Israeli-Style Spices


1. Make the Spice Blend. Roughly grind the sesame seeds, pistachios, thyme, caraway seeds and salt with a mortar and pestle or alternatively place them in a small Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. They should be just crushed, not ground to a fine dust. Set aside.
2. Combine the garlic with the vinegar, lemon juice and lemon zest in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Allow it to mellow a minimum of 10 minutes.
3. When ready to serve, whisk in the olive oil until nicely blended. Add the arugula and toss coating the leaves evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the watermelon, sprinkle generously with the Israeli Spice mix, top with crumbled feta and serve.

Mary

Looks great - am intrigued by the caraway, not what I would have thought of.

That looks really good, and I happen to have a small, seedless watermelon out in my garden at this time. Thanks!

Interesting that Penzey's has "zatar" and sumac online, but never ever in the stores.

Mary,

Darn it! I had almost all of the ingredients for that salad not an hour ago, and now I don't.

I did a riff on this salad for lunch. I had to sub most of the sesame seeds with smoked sesame seeds, added the sumac and used the same dressing. I mixed the arugula with thinly sliced plums and topped it with grilled halloumi. I think this salad can carry us through the winter (persimmons?).

Mary

Fuzzy, I bought both at the Cleveland store last year.

Josh,

Each Penzey's store likely only carries what the market buys. That's a typical multi-store strategy. No point in offering sumac, etc. if it doesn't move out the door.

Amy

Jb,

hah!

Of course, I've met some of those guys ...

That is so cool!