I am normally not particularly fond of tahini as a dressing, but drizzled over these aubergines and tomatoes it is quite delicious. this is a simple recipe that makes a nice lunch or a side to a larger meal at the weekend, especially my sumac roasted chicken.
Fattoush
Fattoush is a salad. And this salad tastes like home. As a child I would finish the dinner on my plate and then finish the rest of this salad straight out of the serving bowl. I still serve it in the same old cracked bowl my Mama used to, which she handed down to me when my husband and I bought our first home.
Salata Arabia
When I eat this salad I am transported back to the Jordan Valley, where I spend a lot of time with farmers who are being supported by the livelihoods programme I run. As I get out of the car at 8am into the perfectly dry heat, I am ushered over to an upturned pallet that has a bowl of this salad on it with a plate of Labneh, fresh and warm bread and sweet sweet tea. They grow all the ingredients for this salad right here; fresh and proud. I sigh with relief as I have missed breakfast to get here so early, I have been in the car for hours. I tuck in, while hearing about how things have been since my last visit. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Read MoreWarm Roasted Red Pepper & Multi-Coloured Tomato Salad
In autumn I love to eat food that is deep red, orange and yellow in colour to match the trees turning colour outside. These colours always feel so hearty and delicious mixing deep wintery flavours with mild summer sweetness. I eat lots of salads in the summer, and this dish is the perfect way to welcome in the new colder season, as it’s still a salad but served warm; perfect for autumn days before the cold of winter really sets in.
Wild Flower Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
There is nothing more beautiful than bright, vibrant flowers adorning food and drink, and it’s even better when you get to eat them. I found these fabulous bright orange flowers at my local farmer’s market. They have a spectacular peppery taste, and I knew they would complement perfectly a mixed leaf salad with a sweet and syrupy dressing. This salad is the perfect way to say ‘good bye’ to summer.
Warm Rainbow Cauliflower, Toasted Nut & Tahini Salad
Autumn is a great time of year for warm salads. It’s not very warm outside, but it’s also not too cold yet. Leafy summer salads don’t appeal, but neither does hot stews, so this salad is the perfect gateway between the seasons. This warm salad is especially autumnal with the beautiful green and purple cauliflower. I love roasted cauliflower, as you will have read in a previous post, as it reminds me of the exceptionally tasty, but not so healthy deep-fried cauliflower I grew up with in my Mama’s very Middle Eastern kitchen. Roasting gives you all the flavour and texture, but it supremely better for your health.
Parsley Tahini Dressing
In Palestine, you cant go out to eat anywhere without Ba’dounsia showing up. On your falafal, in your shawarma, to dip your fried veg into, poured over salads.
Fig, Honey & Pinenut Salad
Growing up I always knew that autumn was around the corner when Mama used to bring figs home from the market, and their deep purple colouring and cherry red interior still reminds me of autumn today. Figs are in season right now (september), so they are at their sweetest and cheapest.
Tomato and Pickle Salad
The tomato salad is an essential part of every Palestinian meal; breakfast, lunch and dinner. served along side falafels, halloumi, hummus, warm bread, lentils or rice and chicken is it a great addition to any meal. In its purest form, it only consists of bright red and sweet tomatoes, top quality extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. However, many things can be added from onions, cucumber or parsley to add flavour and nutrition and complement the overall meal.
Halloumi & Mint Summer Salad
Halloumi is growing in popularity in the UK and Europe. I remember when I was younger, you could only find it in speciality shops in the UK, or you’d have to make it yourself, so it was always a special treat to have it. Now you can find it nearly everywhere, and you can even get exceptional organic halloumi.
The Olive Tree Kitchen 