I beg your pardon! Fat what?
Fattoush is not a fat anything, but a delicious salad made with chopped vegetables like tomatoes and cucumber, feta cheese, olives, herbs, and grilled pita wedges. It's the Arabic version of the Italian Panzanella salad. It's also the perfect summertime salad to serve alongside some grilled chicken or kebabs. This version of fattoush includes some grilled zucchini and red pepper strips which add some heartiness to the salad. If you have some purslane handy, throw some of that in as well! Omit the pita bread if you are gluten-free. This is one delicious salad.
Grilled Zucchini and Bell Pepper Fattoush
adapted from Epicurious
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
On the grill
3 medium orange or red bell peppers (about 1 pound), stemmed, seeded, quartered
4 to 5 slender zucchini (about 1 pound), trimmed, cut lengthwise in half
2 (5- to 6-inch) pita breads, each cut horizontally into 2 disks, or two 6x4x1/2-inch slices country white bread (omit if gluten-free)
Olive oil (for grilling)
For the dish
1 (8-ounce) cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
12 cherry tomatoes, each halved
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 4-ounce piece feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (scant 1 cup)
Ground sumac for sprinkling on top, optional
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush peppers, zucchini, and bread on both sides with oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Grill peppers and zucchini until slightly charred and just tender, turning often, about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables to foil-lined baking sheet. Grill bread until lightly charred and just crisp, turning often, about 3 minutes. Transfer to sheet with vegetables and cool. Tear bread into 1-inch pieces. Vegetables and bread can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
On the grill
3 medium orange or red bell peppers (about 1 pound), stemmed, seeded, quartered
4 to 5 slender zucchini (about 1 pound), trimmed, cut lengthwise in half
2 (5- to 6-inch) pita breads, each cut horizontally into 2 disks, or two 6x4x1/2-inch slices country white bread (omit if gluten-free)
Olive oil (for grilling)
For the dish
1 (8-ounce) cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
12 cherry tomatoes, each halved
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 4-ounce piece feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (scant 1 cup)
Ground sumac for sprinkling on top, optional
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush peppers, zucchini, and bread on both sides with oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Grill peppers and zucchini until slightly charred and just tender, turning often, about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables to foil-lined baking sheet. Grill bread until lightly charred and just crisp, turning often, about 3 minutes. Transfer to sheet with vegetables and cool. Tear bread into 1-inch pieces. Vegetables and bread can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
Cut peppers lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut zucchini lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in large bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, olives, mint, and cilantro and toss to combine. Add bread pieces. Whisk 1/2 cup oil, lemon juice, and cumin in small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad; toss to coat. Add feta and gently mix into salad.
Transfer salad to large bowl. Sprinkle ground sumac on top, if using.
