When I was a child, we had a pet bunny named Floppers. My mother kept a vegetable garden, which meant there was always plenty of food for him. He feasted on carrot tops, cabbage, and especially radish tops. When my grandmother came to visit, she was surprised that we gave these precious radish tops to our pet; she loved to add them to her soups and stews. My grandmother is my inspiration for this za’atar, often used in Middle Eastern dishes. The radish tops add an earthy, peppery depth to this spice blend.
8 large radish tops, dried and crumbled (about 2 tablespoons) (reserved from Strawberry Ume Plum Pickled Radishes)
6 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons sumac
Makes 4 quarter-pints
Gently rinse the radish tops under cold running water and trim off the stems. Fill a clean sink with 3 inches of cold water. Let the radish tops soak for 5 minutes. Remove the tops and pat dry between 2 paper towels. Arrange the tops on a salt block, close to each other but not touching. After 72 hours of drying, use the back of a butter knife to scrape the leaves off the salt block into a mortar and pestle.
TIP
If you do not have a salt block, you can use the oven or a food dehydrator to dry the tops, or if you do not have radish tops, or are pressed for time, substitute with 1 tablespoon of dried oregano.
In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, shaking the pan from side to side to avoid burning. Once the seeds are slightly brown and begin to pop, take them off the heat and transfer to a dry bowl. Let cool.
Add salt to the radish tops and grind in the mortar and pestle until the tops are powdered. Add the cooled sesame seeds, thyme, and sumac, and grind until well mixed and fragrant. Store in a glass vessel in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
TIP
I often make one big batch of Radish Top Za’atar to give as summer barbecue gifts. It is really tasty melted with butter over corn or with olive oil on flatbread.