Za’atar

Herbaceous, aromatic, and slightly tart. This versatile herb blend goes well on hummus and roasted veg or meat.

This Middle Eastern spice blend is a bit mysterious to pin down. It seems as if each region, family, and restaurant have their own proprietary blend. I had trouble finding a premade blend that didn’t contain any added salt, anticaking agents, or other strange ingredients, so I experimented with what I had in my pantry and created my own. By doing this, I was able to blend it to my specific taste preferences: heavy on the oregano. Win-win.

My favorite uses for this are on top of hummus, avocado toast, and whole roasted chicken. It’s also delicious on just about any roasted vegetable. And, come to think of it, would make a killer popcorn topping.

Store this aromatic blend in an airtight jar.

Za’atar

3 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons sumac

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Add spices to a bowl. Stir to combine, crushing the herbs with the back of the spoon. Store in a jar or other airtight container.

When using this spice blend, season food with salt before adding the spice blend. This pairs very well with olive oil.

Red pepper flakes make an excellent addition to this flavor profile. I like to leave them out of the blend so I’m not tied to spicy food any time I use the za’atar. Just sprinkle on some flakes whenever you want a hit of spice: perfect for avocado toast.

Za’atar, flakey salt, and red pepper flakes are brilliant on avocado toast.