Sami Tamimi's courgette and feta cheese Ijeh-Aravic frittata with a fruit, red onion and rocket salad. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: Hanna Miller. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food styling assistant: Isobel Clarke. View image in fullscreen Sami Tamimi's courgette and feta cheese Ijeh-Aravic frittata with a fruit, red onion and rocket salad. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: Hanna Miller. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food styling assistant: Isobel Clarke. Food Herby frittata and a knockout fruit and feta salad: Sami Tamimi’s Arabic summer recipes Levantine summer magic in a herby and moreish Arabic frittata with a peachy fruit, red onion and rocket salad
Prefer the Guardian on Google I ’ve always loved food that can be enjoyed at room temperature, or even cold the next day. As the UK, along with many other parts of the world, swelters through another hot summer, these are exactly the kinds of dishes I want to cook and eat. Fresh, light and unfussy, they require little effort, yet never compromise on flavour. This herb-packed courgette and feta ijeh paired with a lush fruit, red onion and rocket salad alongside makes the perfect meal for warm days and relaxed summer gatherings.
Ijeh is a much-loved Palestinian herb frittata-like omelette that perfectly captures the freshness and simplicity of everyday home cooking. Made with eggs, generous handfuls of fresh herbs, onions and fragrant spices, it is crisp around the edges and soft in the centre and can be enjoyed at any time of day. Together, with some cool mint yoghurt and a salad of fruit and caramelised onions, they celebrate the generosity at the heart of any table.
Prep 20 min Cook 1 hr , plus cooling Serves 4-6
2 large courgettes (about 700g), trimmed and coarsely grated Salt and black pepper 1 red pepper (about 120g), pith and seeds discarded, flesh finely chopped Olive oil 1 small onion (80g), peeled and finely chopped 3 spring onions (45g), trimmed and finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 25g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 20g fresh dill, finely chopped 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 200g feta , crumbled 100g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder
For the mint yoghurt 300g Greek-style yoghurt 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed ¼ tsp dried mint ¼ tsp aleppo chilli flakes ⅓ tsp salt
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and line the base and sides of a 26cm round baking dish with parchment paper.
Put the grated courgette in a colander, sprinkle with one teaspoon of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Using a clean tea towel, squeeze out as much moisture from the courgettes as you can, then put them in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze out the excess moisture from the red pepper, too, then add them to the bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients, along with three quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and combine well using your hands. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and smooth the top with the back of the spoon. Bake for 50 minutes, until golden brown, then leave to rest for 15 minutes.
To make the mint yoghurt, mix the yoghurt in a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients, until well combined. Set aside.
Once the ijeh has cooled, cut it into slices and serve warm or at room temperature with the mint yoghurt and fruit, red onion and rocket salad(below).
View image in fullscreen While I like to make loquats the star here, peaches, nectarines, or ap…