Peach Fattoush. That’s weird, huh? That’s because people are funny about food. Which in itself is funny. People need food to survive, yet I’d argue humans are hard-wired to have an innate fear of food. At least unfamiliar food. My (uneducated wholly untested) theory is that ancient humans adapted fear as a protective device. Our ancestors who were afraid of heights didn’t fall off cliffs, those who feared wild animals didn’t get eaten, and the folks who stayed away from unfamiliar food weren’t accidentally poisoned. In other words, the daring diners died – and the picky eaters survived. Darwin, natural selection, blah, blah, blah. Before you know it a child named Greg was passed a bowl of peach salsa and he thought… that’s weird.
Until he tried it.
Now, not only am I completely familiar with peach salsa, but sometimes I replace the tomatoes in guacamole with peaches too. Talk about a peach fiesta!
But wait there’s more: I love a good BLP (bacon lettuce peach sandwich) and I say bring it on to peach Caprese. I would even make a delicious argument for peach ketchup and I bet I could convince you to withhold the tomatoes and make a peachy gazpacho. So why not a peach salad? Peach Fattoush Salad.
Peach Fattoush
Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad typically consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, and other crunchy vegetables tossed together with toasted pita. The best fattoush is sprinkled with sumac, mint, and parsley. It’s a great summer salad, so improvise and throw in any other super-fresh summer herbs and vegetables you like. I chose purslane. The citrusy bite of purslane is terrific with the zesty zing of sumac. Same goes for peaches. Summer Peach Fattoush Salad.
After a few of these tomato-to-peach substitutes, I’m prepared to make a bold statement. Forget orange – peach is the new black. Of course, we all know by now that tomatoes are actually a fruit, so this substitution makes sense. In texture, sweet-to-tart ratio, juiciness, and color, peaches make excellent stand-ins for fresh tomatoes, especially in sandwiches and salads. Meaning peach fattoush is not so weird that either you or you ancestors need be afraid. GREG
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon ground sumac (plus more for sprinkling)
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt (as needed for seasoning)
- 2 (8‑inch) pita breads (halved crosswise split then open like a book)
- 2–3 peaches (peeled, pitted and cut into bite-sized chunks)
- 2 Little Gem or baby romaine lettuces (torn into bite-sized chunks) or equivilent amount of other crunchy lettuce
- 2 Persian or mini cucumbers (cut crosswise into ½ discs)
- 2 cup (loosely packed) purslane tender tips and leaves only
- 2 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 cup (loosely packed) mint leaves
Directions
Make the dressing: In a bowl combine sumac, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, vinegar, and dried mint. Gradually add oil, whisking constantly, until well-blended. Season to taste with salt. Set aside.
Prepare the pita: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the pita on a large baking sheet, brush generously with prepared dressing; season with salt. Bake for 10 minutes, until crisp and golden all over, then remove and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, break the pita into rough, bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the salad: Mix peaches, lettuce, cucumbers, purslane, parsley and mint in a large bowl. Add most of the remaining dressing; tossing to coat, adding more dressing if needed. Season with salt. Add pita and toss once more. Spread the salad out into a large serving platter. Sprinkle with more sumac if desired. Serve immediately.
Great!! Its like to eat them as a good taste.
My Lebanese father-in-law forages purslane from between the sidewalks in town.…I’ll be passing along this great recipe for him to use with his next “harvest”.
I’m a fan of purslane too. The sumac/pomegranate molasses dressing sounds very intriguing!
So interesting. I can’t wait to try the peach caprese! I’ll bet it’s fantastic!
I’m diggin’ your thinking here and that BLP is on my list as is this here salad. This is a beauty.
This is brilliant! And makes so much sense. Peak peach season actually seems longer than peak tomato season — mainly because you can actually get pretty good peaches from all over the country whereas really only local tomatoes are prime. Gotta try peach gazpacho. And this, of course. 🙂 Good stuff — thanks.
I adore fattoush! Subbing peaches for tomatoes is brilliant, especially now that there is beautiful fruit available everywhere. I have to try this idea of yours!
Peaches in guacamole, now that is a unique thought. I always enjoy your point of view on food and have to try this recipe because I can’t imagine it. Thank you for being uniquely you. 🙂
I wouldn’t have survived since I love to try all sorts of foods. Haha! Peach in guacamole — this Mexican loves the idea and will try it next time I make some.
Fattoush is new to me but I would devour it. Great recipe Greg!
That’s just brilliant!!! I need to make this!!!
I’ve been eating beautiful juicy peaches all week long. I just love to eat them as a snack but I’m willing to try some of your suggestions.
Beautiful, Greg — and I love that you used purslane. It has such a great flavor and texture! And to think I spent much of my youth weeding it from the garden and not knowing it was edible!