Za'ata with Kishk

When David’s grandmother (Situ) came to America as a young bride, she carried all the memories of Lebanon in her heart. She came from the Chouf area, where wild thyme grows in abundance in the hills. They would pick wild thyme and dry it for za’ata. But there is another herb that looks a bit like mint but is softer, tastes like oregano but with a stronger more distinct taste. While walking in some fields in Connecticut, Situ found a plant that reminded her of her home ...... when she tasted it, it was exactly what she had been searching for to make za’ata with kishk. She dug a few plants up all those years ago, and every year they came up in May, spreading all over the garden. Mint tends to overpower it, so we keep them apart. When her daughters married, they took some of these plants with them and to this day, we all have a patch of za’ata growing in our gardens. I’ve always been confused by what this exactly is. Ana Sortun writes in her excellent book, Spice, ......‘Some sources maintain that the very green herb called za’atar is a type of thyme; though some sources say it is Syrian hyssop (a herb similar to oregano). Fresh za’atar in the Middle Eastern markets in Watertown, Massachusetts, looks more like summer savory, or a crossing of marjoram, oregano and thyme. To further confuse matters, za’atar also refers to a blend of the green herb, sesame seeds and other spices. Za’atar blends vary widely in color and spice flavors. The za’atar blends in Israel and Lebanon are similar to the Jordanian version, but they are not as vividly green. In Syria, the za’atar blends contain more sumac and sometimes chilies or cumin are added. We buy the Lebanese version, and add sumac. We use the dried zatta for man’oushie. However, we also use the fresh leaves of this plant to make a delicious dish to be eaten with fresh pita bread.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh Za’ata, leaves only  
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup kishk (kishk is a mixture of fermented milk, salt and bulgur, dried and ground into a cornmeal or powder like form with a tart flavor.) Can be found in Middle Eastern specialty stores.

Directions

Pluck the leaves and wash in a bowl of water. Drain through a colander and then dry between paper towels.
Place leaves in a bowl, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1/3 cup kishk. Mix with a fork and eat immediately with pita bread.