Before I tell you about this easy and refreshing salad I want you to know where I stand about what happened in my country on the 7th of October. I was in London visiting friends when the Hamas horrific massacre occurred. I was supposed to meet my mother and sisters in Paris, but their flight from Israel was canceled. So none of us made it to Paris.
The atrocities they carried out were beyond disturbing. However, what made it even worse, was the reaction of the pro-Palestinian and Hamas supporters around the world – the people who claim that they are “progressive” and “justice-seeking.” How the fuck could anyone sympathize with a fanatic religious terrorist group! Don’t they realize that by supporting Hamas, they’re giving legitimacy to slaughter innocent people and giving the barbaric Hamas more power?
You have to be a complete idiot to think that you’re helping the Palestinians. It’s obvious and quiet the opposite that they are digging them deeper graves.
The best thing anyone can do for the Palestinians is to help them free themselves from Hamas. Period. The Hamas doesn’t give a shit about its own people. If it did give a shit, it would have jumped on the opportunity to make peace with Israel. If the Hamas cared about their own people, they would have invested the billions of dollars they have received over the years from Israel and the rest of the world to make Gaza the Riviera of the Middle East. They could have built high-rises and created jobs instead of buying arms. They could have built the best metro system in the Middle East instead of digging tunnels.
I haven’t heard the word “peace” even once since October 7th. I received so many hateful comments on Instagram after posting how devastated and worried I am for the god-knows-how-many hostages Hamas kidnapped and all the families and individuals who had to witness their brutality.
Despite how impossible it seems right now, I am NOT going to give up on the dream to have peace in the Middle East and anywhere around the world. Maybe we need to divide the world into two worlds: One world for all of those radical people who want to kill each other, and another world for those of us who want to live in peace.
Now let me tell you about this salad. It’s pretty similar to my Middle Eastern chopped vegetable salad though this one has more rustic vibes and croutons. Never buy croutons! Save your stale bread in the freezer and when you’re ready, crush it or cut it, toss it with olive oil and za’atar, and toast it. Store the croutons in an airtight container in the fridge. Use them in soups and salads.
Salad With Croutons and Tahini
Ingredients
- 2-4 slices stale or frozen sourdough bread
- Olive oil
- Za’atar
- Handful arugula or other leafy green - chopped
- 4 Persian cucumbers - chopped
- 1 red bell pepper - chopped
- 2 scallions - chopped
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 tablespoon for dressing
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 hard boiled eggs - quartered
Instructions
- Croutons: Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350°F. Place the bread on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons za'atar, salt, and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the bread is toasted but not hard as a rock.
- Dressing: In a salad bowl, whisk a splash of olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Put the vegetables and herbs in the salad bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, whisk the tahini with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 cup water until smooth. If too thick, add more water. If too runny, add more tahini.
- To Serve: Spread 2 tablespoons of the tahini sauce on a plate. Top with a handful of the dressed salad, croutons, and 2 hard boiled egg quarters.
