Strawberry, Goat Cheese and Pistachio Salad

I collect recipes to the point of near obsession; I have for years. Like my TBR (To Be Read) list of 3,000 books on Goodreads, I won’t get to all the recipes in my possession or on my Pinterest boards. But they’re there if I need them! The book list keeps track of the books I MIGHT want to read, and it’s the same with recipes.

A year or two ago, upon hearing that I had about 2,500 books on my list, Joe said, “But you’re 63!” My response: ”What’s your point?” I knew he meant I wouldn’t live long enough to read all of them. Sometimes I change my mind about books and recipes. I delete from both resources regularly, yet they seem to grow. A least I’m ambitious about something!

This recipe was a more recent acquisition. We loved the beautiful fruit salad, which is perfect for company and easily adjusted. I used just 2 or 3 ounces of goat cheese, half the dressing, and subbed za’atar* for the sumac**, which I didn’t have (the Internet is a wonderful tool for finding ingredient substitutions). Next time I’ll use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the za’atar instead of a small pinch. I peppered just my serving because my husband is pepper-averse. You could substitute feta and chopped pecans for the goat cheese and pistachios.

This would feel delightfully decadent with all the goat cheese and dressing.

The recipe is from the interesting, Middle East-influenced cookbook Simply: Easy Everyday Dishes by Sabrina Ghayour.

Strawberry, Goat Cheese and Pistachio Salad

14 oz. strawberries

5 basil leaves

5 large mint leaves (optional)

3 to 5 oz. soft goat cheese, torn into small chunks

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

1/2 tsp. sumac or za’atar

1/2 tsp. pul biber chili flakes (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

2 tsp. olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 generous tbsp. liquid honey

Hull strawberries and cut into quarters (halve if they are small). Stack the basil leaves and roll them into a cylinder. Finely slice the roll into thin ribbons. Repeat with mint leaves (I didn’t use any because ours hasn’t come up yet).

Arrange the strawberries on a platter and scatter over the goat cheese and herbs. Add the pistachios and sprinkle with the sumac/za’atar and pul biber*** if using.

Mix the dressing ingredients. You might find it easier to mix if you first heat the honey in the microwave for a few seconds. Season the salad with pepper if desired, then drizzle with the dressing to serve.

*Za’atar is an Arabic word for a spice mix and an herb in the mint family. The Middle Eastern spice mix varies depending on region and preference. It generally contains sumac, which is tart, along with sesame seeds and an herb mix such as thyme, marjoram and oregano. It’s hard to find a version containing the za’atar plant, sometimes called Syrian oregano. Some believe the za’atar plant to be the hyssop mentioned in the Bible. For more, click here.

**Sumac is a tart spice made from the dried, ground berries of a specific sumac plant. One kind is poisonous, so don’t assume that plant in your yard is the safe kind.

***Pul biber is also known as Aleppo pepper and Turkish pepper flakes; it is made from dried chilies. It is said to be mild, but I didn’t want to test it on my husband and have steam come out of his ears.