Just back from our local spice shop with a bag of goodies in hand, one of the treasures in my bag was a small container of ground sumac.  Sumac is a bush of red berries grown in the Middle East that lends a distinctively rich, yet slightly sour taste to the dishes you add it into.  Not a negative sour taste, but more of a tart taste that you would find in fresh lemon juice.

I searched online for a nice way to use some of my ground sumac and found this lovely Middle Eastern side dish.  Cauliflower and chickpeas are roasted with olive oil and ground cumin, then added to a peppery salad of baby arugula, nuts, crumbled feta cheese and dried fruit.  Where does the sumac come in? In a lovely vinaigrette made with lemon juice, olive oil and minced garlic.  I’m really looking forward to researching and exploring the many other ways to use this lovely ground spice!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/roasted-cauliflower-arugula-salad-with-sumac-dressing.aspx)

Tagged: Arugula, arugula salad, cauliflower, chickpeas, dried currants, feta cheese, Fine Cooking, ground cumin, ground sumac, Middle Eastern, pine nuts, roasted cauliflower, Salad, sumac, sumac dressing