Fattoush -Toasted pita bread salad

Fattoush is a marvelous combination of simple flavors and textures that creates a result that is much more than the sum of its parts. Eaten at any time of day, It is often enjoyed as part of a mezze or accompanying grilled meat, kebabs, or chicken, or some fried falafel. It is a great way of using up stale pita bread. The drier the bread, the more juice it absorbs

2 large pita bread, broken into pieces and toasted lightly

juice of about 1½ lemons

2 garlic cloves

4 ripe plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and cut into ½in (1cm) dice

1 cucumber, halved, seeded, and cut into ½in (1cm) dice

1 tbsp ground sumac (available in Middle Eastern markets)

4 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced

handful of fresh arugula leaves

½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ bunch of mint leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Place the toasted bread pieces in a large bowl. Add the juice of ½ lemon, and season well with salt and pepper.
• Crush the garlic cloves with a little salt until you have a smooth purée. In a small bowl, combine the tomato and cucumber with the garlic purée. Season with salt and pepper, the sumac, and some more lemon juice. Add to the toasted bread, along with the scallions, arugula, parsley, and mint. Drizzle in the olive oil and toss gently to mix.
• Taste the salad, adding more lemon if needed. It should be sour from the lemon juice and peppery hot from the arugula and seasoning. The tomatoes and cucumber will be sweet, and the sumac is a grand spice that is purple in color and provides an essential lemony, peppery element to the flavor of the salad. Serve at once, as the lemon juice will begin to discolor the greens.

Serves 4–6