Greetings! It's been a while since I've posted anything, but it seems silly to write posts when I just don't have much to say. I've decided that Pearwise will continue as a sporadically updated site. If you're a reader, thanks for your patience and please check back periodically or turn on a notification of some sort.
Today I'd like to talk about my favorite salad. It's my favorite because it's never the same twice, it's always delicious and it can be made to represent at least two (and probably more) food cultures. It can also be made with any number of vegetables, easily scaled to accommodate a crowd, and stored in a plastic container for a few days if you don't finish it.
I'm talking about salad premised on chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. In India and South Asia this is called "cachoombar" (I'd bet that this word is related to "cucumber," but I have no evidence of this). In Israel it's often just called "salad" and is served for breakfast. In the US it might be called "Israeli salad" or (creatively) "cucumber and tomato salad." Part of the beauty of this salad is that it can be just that simple -- just cucumbers, tomatoes, some lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. My mother swears by this version.
Simple beauty is great, but is not grounds for my calling something "the best ever." That requires a bit more versatility and tastiness. What I really like about this salad is the way it can be modified to become something totally different based on whatever you have. Go to the farmers' market or your favorite grocery store, buy what's good, and then make this salad.
For an Indian cachoombar salad, take the base of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes (1 of each, say) and add a chopped red onion, some cilantro, a chile pepper, juice of one lime and a teaspoon or so of a spice blend called "chat masala." You can make chat masala, but there are lots of components and it's pretty easy to find in a box in Indian grocery stores. Or if you don't have chat masala, use some ground cumin, black pepper, and salt. Or just black pepper and salt. Or some other spices. Now you're getting the idea. If you want to get a bit non-traditional, try adding a diced ripe avocado (a small one will do). If it's really ripe, the avocado will break apart and "dress" the salad.
If you want a salad that's not as spicy and more middle eastern in character, get yourself some zaatar, which is pretty easy to spot in middle eastern groceries. Instead of onions in the above recipe, add a few diced scallions. Or radishes. Or both. Skip the chile pepper this time. Add about a teaspoon of zaatar. You could still use a lime, but lemon juice would be pretty tasty. Maybe add some olive oil for a more rich experience. Substitute flat-leaf parsley for the cilantro in this version. You'll also want a bit more salt this time, because chat masala has (black) salt and zaatar does not. An avocado is delicious in this version too, as is a bit of feta or other crumbly cheese (I used queso fresco today, because I had some around).
I've also added a red bell pepper to either version of this with much success. And I've tried it with different herbs, including rau ram (tasty, but perhaps not my favorite), mint (nice) and dill (subtle, but pretty good).
This salad is also great because it can be served in lots of different ways. Often I eat it alongside a meal. Sometimes -- particularly when I add lots of stuff -- I eat it as a meal in and of itself, with some bread or as a filling for pita. It can also be a delicious topping for bruschetta appetizers. And in the fine Israeli tradition established by farm workers on Kibbutzim (or so I'm told), it makes a wonderful breakfast.
So...have fun with this one. Eat the same salad every week like I do, but be sure you never eat the same salad twice!
