Middle Eastern Lebanese Fattoush Bread Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 pita breads or 1 1/2 arab bread
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into ribbons
3 medium firm ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 small cucumbers, peeled, cut into thick slices
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small slices
1 1/2 1 1/2 mild white onions or 9 scallions, chopped
1 bunch rocket, torn
1 butch purslane or 1 lamb's lettuce, torn
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 -4 sprigs of fresh mint, shredded
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice of
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground sumac

Preparation

Cut open the breads and toast them under the broiler until they are crisp turning them over once. Break them into small pieces in your hands.
Put all the vegetables in a large bowl with the onions, rocket and purslane leaves or lamb's lettuce, flat leaf parsley, and mint.
For the dressing, mix the olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and sumac.
Just before serving, add the toasted bread and toss well with the dressing. Serves 6-8.
Variation: for the old style version, put the broken pieces of toast in a bowl. Moisten and soften with a little cold water or lemon juice before adding them to the salad.
The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.