Za'atar Eggplant and Lentil Salad

Are you starting to get cozy? Cause I'm waiting for the cozy weather to start.

Summer definitely has its perks. The long strolls on the beach. The endless sunny days when dinner ends when it was still light out. Chasing after the ice cream man (which on the beach, constituted a cooler attached to a wagon). The neon colors. Actually the neon was probably the best part.

However, I don't know about you, but it is always SUCH a relief when the shoobies (or beach tourists, but I like to think like a local) finally left and the road congestion dropped by two-thirds. Living by the water meant the temperature stayed above sixty degrees well into November, which meant roaming the boardwalk when there is NO ONE there. I actually went this weekend with my mom and it was pure bliss. No little kids running around. No insane people trying to feed french fries to seagulls and then telling the police they pooped on them. And then, the best part: NO LINES FOR CUSTARD.

This weekend, I most definitely got my swirl on. 

This weekend, I also happened to get Michael Solomonov's new book Zahav. It's always nice to treat yourself once in a while, no? This book, dear friends, is amazing. I am not being paid at all to say this, but I have already tried 2 recipes out of here (the roasted okra and the eggplant salad) and I am absolutely in love. I have always had a love of Middle Eastern cooking. I practically lived off of hummus and pita at one point and, when I ate meat, schwarma and kofta were my favorite foods. This salad is the quintessential Middle Eastern/super fresh and herby salad of my dreams. It is in a way inspired by the book, surprise surprise. Delicious roasted (or, if you can, grilled!) eggplant supports the powerhouse of protein aka the lentil. Pomegranate seeds are sprinkled over the whole thing, providing a sweet brightness with just a pop of acidity. Nothing to me screams fall to me quite like a pomegranate. Yeah I know that pumpkin gets all of the attention, but here me out. Pomegranate is . Plus, once Thanksgiving hits and the pumpkin dies, the pomegranate rules on to carry us to spring.

SUCH a superhero of a fruit!. 

The whole salad is doubly dressed (so double the fun, amiright?) The lentils are tossed in lemon juice and olive oil and a yogurt tahini sauce served on the side to smear all over the whole thing. Let me reiterate this a thousand times that YOU CANNOT skip out on the tahini yogurt sauce. I want to slather everything and anything with its rich and creamy goodness. The stuff, honestly, that dreams are made of. 

Za'atar Eggplant and Lentil Salad

 Serves 2
Stuff:
Za'atar Eggplant

• 1 eggplant, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• za'atar blend

Tahini Yogurt Sauce

• ​1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
• 2 teaspoons tahini
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• dill, chopped fresh or dried
• salt
• pepper

Salad

• 1/2 cup green lentils, picked through to remove stones and rinsed
• handful parsly, chopped
• handful mint, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• salt
• pepper

Meanderings:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. In a bowl, toss the eggplant with olive oil, salt, pepper, and za'atar. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant is toasted brown. Let cool.
2. While the eggplant is roasting, bring a small pot of water to a boil, enough to cover the lentils. Add the lentils and cook until the lentils are tender, around 40 minutes. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the lentils from cooking. 
3. In a bowl, mix the lentils with the chopped herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Mix together the yogurt, tahini, garlic powder, and dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. On a plate or platter, arrange the roasted eggplant slices. Top with lentil salad and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve with tahini yogurt sauce.

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