A Middle Eastern Seasoning For An Earthy Roast Recipes

Steps:

• December 2007 and a net of ivory and pink artichokes has turned up in the organic box, as knobbly as a bag of vertebrae. We have had them twice out of the garden already this week and I am not sure whether to laugh or cry. Sound and clean, they have a pink blush to them that makes them appear more delicate than they probably are. They tempt, though, and I decide to roast them to serve with the sliced cold ham and jar of fruit jelly in the fridge.
• The tubers get a brief once-over under cold water, which makes their soft colors shine like young flesh, then I put them on the chopping board and whack each with a can of chickpeas. I could have used a rolling pin to break the rough-sided tubers but I like the squat heaviness of the can in the hand-it feels like the right tool for the job. The idea is, I suppose, to crack each one open so that the roughly broken insides as well as the skin might caramelize in the oven's heat.
• For no particular reason, I decide to follow the earlier roast artichoke recipe but to season the sweet, earthy roots with the piquancy of a couple of chopped pickled lemons, a teaspoon of crushed coriander seeds, and the throat tickle of large, coarse parsley leaves. The contrast with the pan-cooked ones with fresh lemon I mentioned previously is striking.

Steps:

• Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds to the skillet and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
• Using a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle, ground the za'atar leaves with the sumac and salt. Add to the bowl with toasted sesame and mix well. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.