Joeann Gutowski, of our Fort Collins office shares an easy and delicious salad recipe that gets our taste buds yearning for the Mediterranean.
This is the time of year when Colorado gardens are producing a bounty of tomatoes. Not only is this recipe a good use of cherry tomatoes, but I love that the recipe is equally colorful, flavorful, and aromatic. Za’atar is a mixture of herbs and sesame seeds readily found at a specialty spice shop.
Ingredients:
1 lb of cherry or grape tomatoes halved
15 oz can of chickpeas rinsed and thoroughly drained, or freshly cooked chickpeas
1/2 c of feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp of white wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp of za’atar
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
In a small bowl, combine the feta cheese, 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, za’atar, and red pepper flakes allowing the cheese to absorb the flavors while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, chickpeas, sea salt to taste, and a few grinds of the black pepper mill. Add the vinegar and the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the feta mixture and gently mix well. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled in a bowl or small platter.
If za’atar isn’t available in your area you can substitute equal portions of dried thyme, oregano, and marjoram for a nice flavor.
Bon Appetite!
Recipe adapted from Fine Gardening’s special issue for tomatoes.