Heirloom Za'atar Salad

This salad. So Mediterranean. So easy. So good. I know it’s a little late in the game for heirlooms, but rumor has it some people still have them available. I hear some even have a plethora of them that they need to use ASAP. I’m here to help you use the last of late summer’s bounty to it’s fullest, before it’s gone.

If you can’t find any heirlooms where you are, I would recommend either finding the ripest and juiciest tomatoes you can, or waiting until next year to whip this recipe out of your repertoire. Bland, mealy tomatoes would just be simply awful in a recipe this tomato-centric.

Makes enough for 3-4

1 medium - large heirloom tomato (I used the chocolate cherokee variety)

1-2 handfuls of kalamata olives, sliced in half

3/4 can of chickpeas

1 bunch of italian parsley, chopped

1/3 cup of sheep’s milk feta, crumbled or chopped (vegans can omit this, or use a feta substitute. Let me know if you have one, I’d love to try it! / I use Pastures of Eden feta.)

olive oil

salt & pepper

za’atar (if you can’t find za’atar, at the bottom of this recipe is a mini recipe to make your own at home)

This salad comes together pretty quick and easy. Everything can just get tossed in the bowl as you go.

Begin by slicing the tomato into half inch thick slices. Drain and slice the kalamata olives in half. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Roughly chop the parsley. Crumble or chop the feta. Gently toss everything (so as to not turn the tomatoes to mush).

Drizzle with olive oil, season with a grinding of salt & pepper. Finish with a liberal sprinkling of za’atar. Enjoy!