FATTOUSH SALAD WITH SUMAC DRESSING

Recipes have been few and far between around here lately, and though I feel a little sad about that, I've accepted that life comes first. Evenings and weekends have been busier than usual, juggling larger commitments at work, planning a wedding and reading up on gardening in hopes that I'll develop a green thumb in time for summer (fingers crossed). Don't be mistaken though, we've been cooking tons and eating loads, I just haven't had the 'umphf' lately to photograph recipes and write about them.

But, last weekend was different. We were unexpectedly in town and I was able to take a few day light shots as I prepped and cooked my way through this fattoush salad - destined for Monday's desk lunch. Sundays have always been, and continue to be my meal prep day. I start out by planning my way through a menu for the week, develop my grocery list from that menu and then hit the market.

This salad though, needs to be mixed just before serving -- otherwise the lettuce gets soggy and the pita chips loose their crunch. So instead of dismissing this recipe from the blog because I couldn't get final "beauty shots", I decided to just roll with real life, and snap a pic of my tupperware at work. Yep, real life -- unedited, messy and in a tupperware.

SPRING PEA + MINT DIP WITH ZA'ATAR PITA CHIPS (AND A DIP ROUNDUP)

This past weekend was sunny, warm and glorious -- some may even say it almost felt like summer. We had loads to do around the house, but sipped our morning coffee outside, ate lunch on the porch and strolled over to the record store for a fabulous new album.

With backyard//patio/picnic season slowly picking up, I figured it was time for a dip recipe -- something new that screams SPRING, and a few trusty favourites. So pull out the food processor, invite some friends over, crack open a bevvie, and get dipping!

BEET ZA'ATAR DIP WITH HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS

I bought Ottolenghi's Plenty about a year ago. I was amazed at how every recipe was beyond flavourful and delicious. About a month ago, I treated myself to Jerusalem. After hearing the buzz about this cookbook, I just couldn't resist it any longer. I quickly fell into the book, reading it as though it were an award winning novel. I was mesmerized by the photos and enthralled by the stories. Needless to say, I immediately wanted to cook EVERYTHING in the book!

BEET ZA'ATAR DIP // perfect size for a small party appetizer

I gravitated towards this recipe as my first from Jerusalem because lets face it, no one can deny za'atar. I simplified the method described in the book, to suite my cooking style, as well as halved the recipe because I only had 3 beets. Inspired by Ottolenghi's Pureed beets with yogurt & za'atar.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Ingredients:

3 medium sized beets
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 small red chile
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp za'atar
s+p to taste

sliced almonds 

day old pita bread

What to do:

Roast the beets whole and unpeeled on a roasting pan for about an hour. Once cool enough to touch, peel the beets and cut them into about 6 pieces. Let cool.

Place the beets, garlic, chile and yogurt in a food processor and pulse to a smooth paste.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the remainder of the ingredients; add s+p to taste.

I served mine with toasted almond slices; goat cheese, hazelnuts and green onions could work as well.

For the pita bread, split it into single layers, drizzle with olive oil and broil for 5-10 minutes watching closely.