17 Aug TOMATO COUSCOUS SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups cherry tomatoes, (half for roasting, half raw)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 cup dry Israeli couscous

1 tablespoon lemon juice, more if desired

1 garlic clove, minced

Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme, more for garnish

1 1/2 cups roasted chickpeas, tossed with 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika before roasting

1/4 cup fresh basil, more for garnish

2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Tomatoes are at their peak season. This delicious recipe highlights them. Leave out the feta cheese if you want to keep pareve. Roast 2 cups of the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. These can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days. Cook the couscous according to the package directions until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add the cooled couscous and toss. Slice the remaining raw cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with the roasted tomatoes, the chickpeas, basil, cucumbers, and feta. Season to taste.