I’m excited about this season’s Za’atar, because its almost entirely from foraged or home-grown spices.
We picked the sumac along a dirt road in Northern New Hampshire in late June. It was the most luscious, oil-packed, fragrant sumac I’ve ever encountered. (Read about how to find and dry sumac here.)
The oregano and thyme hailed from Pennsylvania and New York City, grown in sis Rosemary and friend Paula’s container gardens, as well as my own window box in the mountains. I dried the sumac by laying them it for a couple of weeks on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet, and the other herbs in the food dehydrator for two days. The marjoram was store bought, and I vow to grown my own next year. I mixed it my Za’atar few weeks ago, and packaged it today in these adorable spice jars I found on the internet.
There are as many recipes for Za’atar as there are chefs. I used this one from Spruce Eats. I’d love to find a source for the Za’atar plant, an oregano that hails from the West Bank in Palestine, the flavor of which we try to emulate by mixing western oregano, thyme and marjoram. Maybe I can try my hand at growing that. It’s what Ottolenghi uses in his Za’atar spice blend,
I’ve used Za’atar in chicken and pasta dishes, but enjoy it most sprinkled atop Lebanese flatbreads.
Most of my Za’atar is already called for, but I still have a few jars leftover. Let me know if you want some.
