[Sca-cooks] looking for za'atar

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

I'm still searching for real, pure zaatar herb. ...gee, some seeds
would be good so i could grow some. Apparently it isn't hard - heck,
in Provence in Southern France thyme grows wild as a ground cover in
the mountains and this stuff is a relative that grows in an even
harsher region... which is on the same latitude as NoCal where i live
in what is sometimes described as "a Mediterranean climate"... It was
amazing when walking through the mountains in Provence, every step
released such incredible fragrance...

BTW, regarding the blend, there are two kinds:
Green Zaatar is zataar herb, sesame seeds, and salt
(Red) Zaatar is the above plus sumac...

As for USES for Zaatar The Blend...

Searching the web, i found this at:
http://ae.boston.com/dining/recipes/z/zaatar_mix.html

It gives both a suggested herb blend to replace zaatar herb, as well
as a couple uses of the blended zaatar (herb, sesame seeds, and sumac
berries)

----- FORWARD -----
Zaatar's Oven Zaatar mix
Makes about 4 cups

Eli Alperowicz, chef and part owner of Zaatar's Oven, in Brookline's
Coolidge Corner, uses this spice mix in many ways. He sprinkles it on
bread dough that's been brushed with olive oil and then bakes it; he
rubs it on chicken or fish before grilling; he tosses it with sauteed
vegetables and boiled potatoes; and he dredges oil-coated chunks of
feta in it. His favorite use is to add a little to a vinaigrette,
made of 3 parts olive oil and 1 part lemon juice, along with crushed
garlic, lots of chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. If you don't
want to make your own zaatar mix, you can buy it at his shop or in
any of the Middle Eastern stores listed

1 cup sumac (preferably dark)
2 cups roasted, ground sesame seeds
1/2 cup dried ground thyme
2 tablespoons dried leaf oregano
2 tablespoons dried leaf marjoram
2 tablespoons dried leaf savory
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together except the salt (some sumac is
salty; also, you may not want the salt for some zaatar uses). Taste
carefully and add the salt if desired. Keep the zaatar mix in a
tightly closed jar (the sesame seeds will last 6 months maximum); it
will stay fresher in the refrigerator or freezer than at room
temperature.
----- END -----

Several other websites have this recipe for Zaatar Blend without
crediting their source...

Anahita