Parsley & Barley Salad
Every so often a cookbook comes along that doesn’t just provide us with excellent recipes; it changes the way we cook. It changes the way we look at food.
I am talking about Jerusalem, the cookbook co-authored by Yotam Ottoleghi and Sami Tamimi. Both born in Jerusalem, Yotam and Sami write about the food of their homeland. Their stories are beautiful. They tell their readers about a city whose cultural diversity brings with it an extreme richness in flavour. They speak of the unifying force that food brings and how very different cultures find commonality among the food that they serve. In their words, “It takes a giant leap of faith, but we are happy to take it… to imagine that hummus will eventually bring Jerusalemites together, if nothing else will.
And the recipes themselves are transformative. The spices and combinations suggested are unfamiliar to the typical western cook. This cookbook has inspired me to use vegetables in new and different ways, to make use of an abundance of herbs, and to try new and adventurous spices I had never heard of before. I encourage everyone- if you are only going to buy one cookbook this year, make it Jerusalem.
The recipe I have chosen to share today is one of my new favourite salads. It is similar to Tabbouleh but includes marinated feta cheese, nuts and a green pepper. (Note: in the photographs I used a yellow pepper instead of a green pepper as that is what I had on hand) This salad is complex and refreshing and the perfect thing to usher in Spring!
The recipe calls for za’atar, a spice blend that is common in Middle Eastern cooking. It can be found in most large grocery stores (Loblaws/Zehr’s in Canada carries it). Or you can make your own za’atar with thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. I recommend this recipe from The Kitchn.
Parsley and Barley Salad
Jerusalem by Yotam Ottoleghi and Sami Tamimi
¼ cup (40 g) pearl barley
5 oz (150 g) feta cheese
5 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 tsp za’atar
½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
¼ tsp ground cumin
3 oz (80g) flat leaf parsley, leaves and fine stems
4 green onions, finely chopped (1/3 cup or 40 g in total)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup (40g) cashew nuts, lightly toasted and coarsely crushed
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 3/8 inch or 1 cm dice
½ tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the pearl barley in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, and boil for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender but with a bite. Pour into a fine sieve, shake to remove all the water, and transfer to a large bowl.
Break the feta into rough pieces, about ¾ inch/ 2 cm in size, and mix in a small bowl with 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil, the za’atar, the coriander seeds, and the cumin. Gently mix together and leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Chop the parsley finely and place in a bowl with the green onions, garlic, cashew nuts, pepper, allspice, lemon juice, the remaining olive oil, and the cooked barley. Mix together well and season to taste. To serve, divide the salad among four places and top with the marinated feta.