Turkish salad

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 red onion
• 400g fresh okra
• 3 tbsp sumac
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp pink lake sea salt
• 3 tbsp rice bran oil
• ¾ cup activated buckwheat groats
• 400g tin chickpeas
• Half bunch parsley
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp Za’atar spice
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 pita bread
• 1⁄3 cup goat cheese

Method

Dice eggplants, cut the red onion into wedges and leaving the okra whole, place all vegetables onto a lined baking tray. Add the three tablespoons of sumac, two tablespoons of cumin seeds and the pink lake sea salt. Drizzle on two tablespoons of the rice bran oil and mix all together with your hands until vegetables are coated. Place in oven for 20 to 30 minutes until vegetables are golden.

In a medium saucepan, place your activated buckwheat with some boiling water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Take off the heat, drain and rinse under cold water and place into a bowl. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and put in bowl with the buckwheat.

Chop up the parsley, dice the tomatoes and put into the bowl with the buckwheat and chickpeas. Mix together with the olive oil and juice of a lemon.

Once vegetables are done in the oven, take off tray and place in the bowl. Mix all ingredients together with two tablespoons of the Za’atar spice and cumin powder.

Place the pita breads on the baking tray with the remaining Za’atar spice and rice bran oil. Put under the grill for five minutes until crisp.

Sprinkle the goats cheese alongside any remaining parsley on top of the salad and serve with the Za’atar pita bread.

Recipe from Kate Bradley; Photo credit: Elisa Watson

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