Field Pea Fattoush Salad

If you love Panzanella, or bread salads, you are going to love Fattoush, a Middle Eastern dish made with toasted pita instead of croutons or cornbread. It’s bright and fresh in flavor from the mint and lemon with great crunch from both the crisp romaine and toasted pita. The pita softens as it stands and absorbs some of the dressing. This Fattoush is a lovely vegetarian main dish salad but you can easily add an extra protein, such as Greek-style roasted chicken or fish. Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas with oil and allow to stand for about 10 minutes. The mixture will release some liquid which concentrates and enhances the flavorful dressing. You can toast the pitas in advance and store in an air-tight container or plastic bag. You can also make the tomato mixture ahead of time, but don’t add the romaine until you are ready to serve the Fattoush. Ground sumac is a tangy, lemony spice widely used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. If you can’t find it, use the same amount of lemon pepper seasoning. Use fresh field peas from your local farmer’s market when they are in season, but frozen are perfect for the off season. You could even substitute rinsed and drained canned peas, ckickpeas, or even beans.