I was first introduced to Za’atar spices by a little Middle Eastern restaurant in the Silicon Valley of California. When a Jordanian friend brought me back a bag of them, I was delighted and stored them in my freezer for long-term enjoyment. After moving to Ireland, I missed the subtle flavors and earthiness Za’atar spices gave to dishes so I kept looking for it and eventually found it at Mr. Bell’s. Since then, one of my favorite indulgent salads is to blend Za’atar spices and dried basil with olive oil when making a Caprese Salad. Caprese Salad with Za-atar Spices is one of my favorite picnic recipes.
Caprese Salad with Za’atar Spices
2 tablespoons Za’atar spices
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves (use fresh if you’re making this in the summer or when fresh is readily available)
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (or to taste) extra virgin olive oil
4 fresh ripe tomatoes, sliced with the excess seed liquid drained (I like to leave some of it though because of its proven health benefits)
4 balls of fresh mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella, sliced or diced
1. Whisk the first four ingredients together. Set aside in a cruet for easy drizzling.
2. Arrange the tomato slices and mozzarella slices on a serving platter or individual plates then after a quick whisk to make sure the ingredients haven’t settled, drizzle over lightly. Alternatively, you can put it all in a bowl and fold them together.
3. Serve immediately after assembling. The mozzarella should remain chilled or refrigerated until then.
Note: For a picnic, place the tomatoes and mozzarella in a sealable container with a small amount of the spiced olive oil then bring the cruet to add more at time of serving. Keep chilled!
On a side note, the best Caprese salad I ever enjoyed was oddly not even on the island of Capri but on the neighboring island of Ischia. It was at an unassuming cafe by one of the ferry ports. I ate it in the warm sun while being stared at by a beautiful cat. Here’s a photo of the cat.
