Sumac and Za'atar make any salad sing on top of it's lungs

...and rescue my disappointing tasteless main dish...phew!

Salads of my life:

Salad has been a changing concept throughout my life. I can imagine that statement itself may sound odd to you. Salad in your world has probably always been deliciously dressed greens adorned with an array of raw vegetables or fruits or cheese and crowned with crunchy toppings like nuts or some protein like chicken or fish. You may eat this ahead of your main meal or as the main meal. You probably readily connect with (maybe even crave) salads like these recent ones I have enjoyed:

» recent salads: mango cheddar almond, hummus beet avocado, persimmon apple goat cheese

Salad, though, in my world had a completely different beginning. In North Indian households, salad is typically some combination of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, radish, or green chillies. Sometimes they would be seasoned with salt or chaat masala (blend of tangy spices) or lemon juice. But almost always they were an accompaniment to the main curry dishes, not really eaten prior to the main meal or as a meal itself. This time, I imagine, you would not readily connect with (or crave) some of my recent salads enjoyed with North Indian style food:

» recent Indian salads: sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, radish, lemon juice, cilantro

I would eat this ‘salad’ by alternating it in between bites of spicy curries (with rice or roti (flat bread)). My palate would enjoy a different texture as well as get a ‘cleanse’ for the next spicy lip smacking bite of food. A plate full of inviting Indian food without these raw crunchy ‘salad’ accompaniments feels incomplete to me. So my daals (lentils curries/soups) and sabjis (vegetables curries) dishes are almost always joined by a colorful ‘salad’ to complete the meal.

» various Indian meals were ‘salad’ aka cucumbers, tomatoes, onion joined the plate

Today’s salad:

Inspired by fresh butter lettuce head and fennel bulbs

I received my weekly produce delivery that had gorgeous butterhead lettuce, fennel bulbs, fragrant fresh dill, and bright green baby broccoli; all begging to be savored immediately. However, it was a Monday evening and I was too tired to cook anything elaborate. After a few moments of scratching my head, a fast and easy dinner idea was born. I planned to make a simple yet compelling salad with a side of sautéed broccoli, and serve this with some frozen gnocchi I bought from Trader Joe’s for the first time.

In a bowl I combined torn apart lettuce leaves, sliced fennel bulb, and pulled apart fresh dill. I initially thought I would do a simple dressing of salt, olive oil, and lemon juice but then remembered that I had just received my shipment of the Mediterranean & Middle Eastern spice and herb mix, Sumac and Za’atar, from amazon. I had been waiting to try cooking with both of these spices, this salad was a perfect canvass to experiment on. In addition to salt and olive oil, I sprinkled generous amounts of Sumac and Za’atar over the salad and then massaged all the dressing over the greens with my bare hands (so fun!).

As I was dressing the salad, the aromas emerging from this bowl were appetite-stimulating; I couldn’t wait to dig in! The dark red Sumac also provided a lovely contrast to the greens and herbs, making this quite visually appealing. I had to do a taste test before the rest of the dinner was ready and I was 200% satisfied with the results. Next, the baby broccoli was simply sautéed in olive oil until it got some char and finished with a sprinkle of salt.

All was going well on this tiring Monday evening until now and then the disappointment started to kick in. I saw stuffed gnocchi’s at Trader Joe’s during a recent trip and was intrigued. While deciding wether to buy it, I was thinking back to my memorable stroll through the Mercato Centrale food market in Florence and biting into freshly made cheese stuffed gnocchi that melted in my mouth and took me straight to heaven. I figured if this came even 10% close to that one, it could be worth it. I followed the package instructions and cooked the gnocchi. With a heart full of hope and a screaming appetite, I plated the gnocchi with the salad and broccoli.

I took my first bite of the gnocchi. The disappointment that followed reverberated through my heart and was on full display in my face. The gnocchi was gummy instead of soft, flavorless instead of seasoned to perfection, deserved to be in the trash bin instead of my stomach. And that’s exactly what I did, tossed it into the trash immediately.

The saving grace of this entire meal were the beautiful sides. The broccoli was absolutely delicious but the simple salad was the real star. It was fresh, zesty, crunchy, herbaceous, citrusy, and refreshing.

The salad was literally singing to me and I happily succumbed to it’s serenade.

Despite the disappointing main, my dinner story did indeed have a happy ending! I close this post with a close up of my salad so you are also left with a happy feeling at the end. Better yet, I invite you to adorn your salads with Sumac and Za’atar and let them sing to their heart’s glory.

Dish Debrief:

• Is this my winner or disaster? Absolute winner of a side salad

• How would I rate this dish out of 10? 9/10

• What would I change next time? play around with more greens and salad ingredients; make it a main dish with added protein

• Would I make this again? can’t wait to hear the music again