Fattoush Pita Pockets

This is the time of year when things get a little bit crazy around here. 

Exhibit A:

And this is just this morning's harvest.  There are already four boxes of tomatoes and 11 pints of freshly canned salsa sitting on the kitchen counter.  

I love this time of year because of how plentiful the harvest is.  It's exactly what I have been waiting for, but with the plentiful harvest comes a whole lot of work just to keep up.  Unfortunately, this means that sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day to turn each day's harvest into the beautiful, homegrown meal that I envision.  

Don't get me wrong - we're enjoying every bite and making sure nothing goes to waste - but after four straight days this week of simply grabbing whole cucumbers, tomatoes, and kohlrabi, slicing them up, and calling it a meal, I promised myself that I would start the holiday weekend out with an actual composed meal made out of the harvest that is overtaking my kitchen.  

The recipe is from a little tomato cookbook my godson gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago.  I have found myself turning to the salad section over and over again when I need a little inspiration.  

This recipe immediately caught my eye, because of all of the different garden vegetables and herbs I could pack into one dish. Traditionally, Fattoush (a Lebanese dish pronounced, faˈto͞oSH)  is served as a salad topped with pieces of toasted pita bread, but since I already had a steaming pot of tomatoes on the stove cooking down (and it also happens to be the hottest week of the summer), there was no way I was going to fire up the oven too.  Instead, I stuffed it inside a pita pocket and had an amazing sandwich packed with bright, fresh flavors.  

I'm convinced that the fresh herbs are what makes this recipe, so go ahead and experiment with adding or substituting whatever you have on hand.  You can also add even more color and flavor by using a variety of different tomatoes, sweet peppers, and cucumbers.   What are you waiting for?  Enjoy the harvest while it lasts! 

Fattoush Pita Pockets

4 tomatoes

1-2 sweet peppers

1 cucumber

6 scallions

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 tablespoons fresh mint

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of two lemons

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pita pocket bread

Rough chop the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and scallions, and combine in a bowl.  Finely chop the fresh herbs and sprinkle over the vegetable mixture.  

Mince the garlic, and add it to a second, smaller bowl.  Top with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper and whisk together.  Adjust the taste of the dressing, if necessary, and then pour over the vegetable mixture. 

Gently toss until the vegetables have been well coated, and then scoop into pita pocket bread and consume immediately.   

Recipe adapted from Tomatoes: 180 Fabulous Recipes