Tomato Feta Olive Preserved Lemon Salad Offers A Taste of Morocco

Tomato Feta Olive Preserved Lemon Salad – Fresh. Clean. Bold. Juicy. Bright. Satisfying.

A friend returning from Morocco gifted me a bottle of culinary Argan oil. I immediately opened it and took a sniff. Mmm, such a unique and nutty smell. Intrigued, I began reading about culinary Argan oil and looking for recipes. Culinary Argan oil is used both for cooking and for drizzling. Wanting to savor its flavor (and have my bottle last longer) I decided on drizzling. Today I share with you Tomato Feta Olive Preserved Lemon Salad served with a most delicious  drizzle of Argan Oil.

Make each ingredient a co-star

With so few ingredients, each ingredient is a co-star. Use a fruity and pungent extra-virgin olive oil, sweet, ripe tomatoes, fresh parsley and/or cilantro, tangy and creamy feta cheese, full-flavored Kalamata olives, lightly toasted cumin seeds, and your homemade preserved lemons. Then, for unsurpassed flavor, serve your Tomato Feta Olive Preserved Lemon Salad lightly chilled or at room temperature.

Three must haves of the Moroccan kitchen

1)  Argan oil

The miraculous Argan tree is endemic to southwestern Morocco. Argan oil is produced from the kernels, the hard fruit of the tree. Uses for regular Argan oil include as a dietary supplement, for wound treatment, rash relief, and to nourish skin and hair.

Then, there’s culinary Argan oil made from toasting the kernels before pressing them. Toasting results in a golden colored oil with a light, nutty flavor and a subtle smoky aroma.

The friend who brought me this bottle of culinary Argan oil, said that in Morocco “it’s used in everything!” So true. Argan oil liberally seasons dishes, whether  a condiment or a salad dressing, or for adding flavor to tagines, couscous, grilled vegetables and desserts.

2)  Preserved lemons

Tangy, salty preserved lemons are a must-have Moroccan condiment. They are whole lemons that have been packed with salt and lemon juice and left to ferment in a cool, dark place for about 4 ½ weeks. While fermenting, their tartness mellows, but their intense lemon flavor remains making a unique, rich, complex and deeply flavored condiment.

Preserved lemons play an important role in Moroccan cuisine, offering both a soft, smooth texture and unique bright, tangy, salty flavor in any number of dishes. Thus, there are no real substitutes for them.

Note: Usually it is suggested to discard the pulp and just use the lemon rind. As the flesh also has flavor, I use it, minus the seeds, when making salad dressings, marinades and hummus. It’s up to you whether or not you rinse preserved lemons before use. When rinsed they will be less salty with a slightly milder flavor.

3)  Cumin seeds

Native from the east Mediterranean to East India, cumin is especially associated with Morocco and the spicy-sweet aroma of its street food. Cumin is one of the standard ingredients in the aromatic Moroccan spice blend known as ras el hanout. Translated as “top shelf,” the name refers to the best of what individual spice dealers have to offer.

For the deepest flavor and aroma, lightly toast whole cumin seeds before using them over medium heat until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

No preserved lemons?

Hopefully, you keep a jar of preserved lemons in your refrigerator at all times (as I do) for making a bimonthly batch of Preserved Lemon Hummus.

• If not, start a batch of easily made preserved lemons today as they take about 4 ½ weeks to ferment.
• In the meantime, ask a friend to borrow one of their preserved lemons.
• Or, buy a jar from a local specialty grocer.

I recently made a recipe for “quick” preserved lemons. It was so far from the real thing that I can’t recommend it.

However, if you have a recipe for quick preserved lemons that you like, please share it. I’d love to give quick preserved lemons another try.

Tomato Feta Olive Preserved Lemon Salad

Fresh. Clean. Bold. Juicy. Bright. Satisfying. That’s how I describe Tomato Feta Olive Preserved Lemon Salad. Serve it as an appetizer, as a topping for hummus, as a side salad, or over salad greens as a main-dish salad. Naturally gluten-free. Inspired by and adapted from a recipe by Jennifer McLagan.

• Do plan ahead, as preserved lemons take only a half hour to make, but 4½ weeks to develop their texture and unrivaled flavor.
• Just before hitting the publish button, I made another batch of salad to confirm the quantity of ingredients. I then added some sliced quartered cucumber to the salad. Wow, delicious. Consider adding ½ -1 cup sliced, quartered cucumber to this recipe.
• Regarding feta, I prefer to use blocks of feta cheese made with sheep’s milk and/or goat’s milk that I dice or crumble myself. Blocks of feta tend to be creamier than the often dry and hard pre-packaged and crumbled feta.

Makes 5 cups, 3-5 servings                 Printer-Friendly Recipe
Total time  35 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ or more of a preserved lemon
• 2 teaspoons (or more to taste) seeded, minced Serrano chili
• 4 ounces feta cheese cut into ½-inch cubes (1 cup)
• ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
• 3 ½ cups grape or  cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
• ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Moroccan culinary Argan oil (optional)

Instructions

1. Divide a preserved lemon into quarters. Remove the flesh from three of the quarters for another use. Lightly rinse and dry the peel. Thinly slice it crosswise to equal ⅓ cup. (Depending upon the size of the preserved lemon, you may need to slice another quarter or more of the preserved lemon peel.)
2. Stem and seed the Serrano chili. Mince half the chili. If you have 2 teaspoons, you’ve got it. Otherwise mince the other half.
3. In a medium bowl, gently toss all of the ingredients together except for the Argan oil.
4. Serve Tomato Feta Olive Preserved Lemon Salad at room temperature or lightly chilled. Just before serving drizzle it with the optional Moroccan culinary Argan oil.

Printer-Friendly Recipe.