California-Style

Fattoush

TOTAL TIME

30 MIN

Serves 4

When I was in high school in Stockton, California, my friends and I would jump into our cars and pop over to Podesto’s for lunch. It was, I think, the fanciest grocery store in town, selling uncommon pasta shapes like orecchiette and bucatini as well as every kind of vegetable. The best part: their deli sandwiches. Because we were in a farming area with amazing produce everywhere, my favorite sandwich was as memorable for the vegetables (cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, and as much avocado as they’d give me) as for the hand-carved turkey and Dutch crunch bread. This fattoush—a classic Middle Eastern bread salad—was inspired by every sandwich Podesto’s ever served me. I add store-bought pita chips for the ease of it. The only thing that could make it better is Dutch crunch croutons. Maybe next time?

• 2 ears corn, husks and silks removed
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup champagne vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (8 ounces)
• 12 ounces heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 romaine heart, torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 cups pita chips (5 ounces)
• 1 Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup lightly packed sunflower sprouts
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Roasted salted sunflower seeds, for sprinkling

Invert a small bowl and place it in the bottom of a large bowl. Working with one ear at a time, stand the corn on the small bowl and, using a knife, cut off the kernels so they fall into the large bowl. Remove the small bowl. You should have about 1 cup fresh kernels.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, romaine, pita chips, avocado, sprouts, dill, and cilantro and toss well. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds and serve right away.