Printer Friendly

Email to A Friend

Friday July 22, 2005

In Tel Aviv or Palo Alto, salads help beat the heat

by louise fiszer

In a recent phone conversation, my sister-in-law, who lives in Tel Aviv, complained that this is the hottest and most humid July ever. (This weather report is a predictable annual event.)

I remember those steamy summer days in Israel only too well. A morning dip in the Mediterranean followed by a light breakfast always seemed to be a restorative solution for some, while others headed for a picnic under the Jerusalem pines. Everybody has their own remedy to deal with the heat and keeping cool but the kitchen solution seems to be universal.

Today air-conditioned restaurants in Tel Aviv are a cooling respite from the heat, serving what Israeli cuisine does best: refreshing, fresh salads that are perfect warm-weather fare. Given the abundance of fruits and vegetables, it’s a no-brainer to turn them into palate- and eye-pleasing dishes. For example, the classic Kibbutz Salad, with ripe sweet tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and pungent onions, is a delicious combination that can be altered with the addition of a few simple ingredients to make a sumptuous summer supper.

Kibbutz Salad | Serves 6

1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Taste for salt and pepper.

Israeli Couscous Salad | Serves 4

2 cups cooked Israeli couscous
1 tomato, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
lettuce leaves

Combine the couscous, tomato, pepper, chickpeas, green onions, olives, oil, lemon juice and basil in a bowl. Toss, and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Fatoush (Lebanese Pita Salad) | Serves 4

1 head Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces
3 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 large red onion, diced
2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
4 radishes, sliced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 loaves 6-inch pita bread, toasted and torn into bite-size pieces
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
1 Tbs. zatar (optional)
juice of 2 fresh lemons
3 Tbs. olive oil
6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Place vegetables and pita in a salad bowl. Add lemon juice into bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add zatar and olive oil; mix gently. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Chicken-Peach Salad | Serves 4

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup peach preserves
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ripe, firm peaches, diced
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
6 cups mixed greens

To make dressing, combine first six ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss dressing with the next 4 ingredients. For each serving, place a handful of mixed greens on a plate. Top with chicken and peach salad mixture.

Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Rebecca Ets-Hokin. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to loufiszer@aol.com.

Did you find this article interesting? Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and you'll be notified each week when "J." goes online. We'll tell you about the most important stories of the week and give you a link to each one.

This page contains a BETA version of Amazon contextual links. They are marked by the dashed underline.  Your purchases support our site. At times they point to items which are not related to the actual link. Please alert us by email if you discover objectionable links.