roasted carrot and feta salad with za'atar

Recipe Courtesy of Todd English, www.foodnetwork.com

2 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cups crumbled Bulgarian feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon za'atar, or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To roast carrots, place the carrots, olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet, toss well and transfer to the oven. Roast, shaking occasionally until they are just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. The carrots should be firm and not mushy. When they are cool enough to handle, cut the carrots in angled 1-inch slices. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to four days.

Note from Chef Pierre:
Za'atar or Zatar or Zahatar is a spice mixture made out of Sumac (cherry red spice - used for its sour taste), thyme, roasted sesame seeds, marjoram, oregano, Kosher salt and is of Middle Eastern origin (now found throughout
the Middle East as well as northern Africa).

You may find the mixture pre-mixed at any Middle Eastern store or you may
call Firdous (North Market) and ask where you can purchase it in Columbus. However, it is so easy to make that you might want to buy the ingredients from a specialty food vendor. Here is a Web site to a recipe:

www.theepicentre.com/Spices/zaatar.html