One thing I learned as I got older and less cynical: summer is not actually endless. It’s always over far too soon, so when you can spend time on the dock with your friends, having a few snacks and drinks, that’s exactly where you must be. And these dishes—fresh, quick, and each with a little wow factor—are what you must be eating. I hope that you’ll treat these recipes as a vague set of loose recommendations: swap in the ingredients you have in the cupboard and don’t fuss if something is missing. Because if you’re in the kitchen worrying about following a recipe to the letter, you’re not down on the dock having fun and enjoying the non-eternal sunshine. Let’s get creative.
Two Middle Eastern mixes
Falling somewhere between spice mixes and condiments, both dukkah and za’atar are adaptable, flavour-packed starting points for all sorts of snack ideas. Dukkah is an Egyptian mix of chopped, toasted nuts and spices. Za’atar combines an aromatic herb—usually thyme and its kin—with the tart zing of sumac and nutty sesame seeds.
Dukkah
Dukkah is an Egyptian mix of chopped, toasted nuts and spices. Egyptians vary the mix of nuts in dukkah, depending on what’s on hand. Many versions feature hazelnuts, but if you don’t have pine nuts or almonds, try pistachios, peanuts, or cashews instead. Don’t overprocess—the nuts should have a coarse, crunchy texture.
Course Appetizer, happy hour
Cuisine egyptian, middle eastern
- 1 tbsp each coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and sesame seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ cup unsalted hazelnuts
- ½ cup pine nuts or blanched almonds
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
In a dry, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stir together coriander, fennel, sesame, and cumin seeds until spices are fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer toasted spices to a bowl and let cool.
Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind toasted spices to a coarse powder.
In the same saucepan and working in batches, toast hazelnuts and then pine nuts or almonds. (For even browning, toast each type separately.) Once browned, immediately transfer to a bowl and let cool. Pulse nuts briefly in a food processor or chop with a knife until coarsely chopped.
In a bowl, combine nuts, spices, paprika, and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Za'atar
Za’atar combines an aromatic herb—usually thyme and its kin—with the tart zing of sumac and nutty sesame seeds. Jars of dried za’atar from Middle Eastern grocers are convenient, but the freshly made mix is much, much better. The heat from the toasted sesame seeds brings out the flavour of the thyme and sumac. Recipe makes about 1/2 cup.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine middle eastern
- ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
- 1½ tbsp ground sumac
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 1 tsp salt
In a small bowl, mix thyme and sumac.
In a dry, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stir sesame seeds until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to bowl with thyme and sumac mix and stir together. Stir in salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Tip
Spices go from toasted to burnt in seconds; once they’re ready, transfer them out of the hot pan right away. Keyword appetizer, spice mix
These recipes originally appeared in our June/July ’24 issue.
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