Olive Bread Fattoush with Jerusalem Artichokes

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 4 slices olive bread, torn into bite-size pieces

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 pound Jerusalem artichokes*, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, slivered

• 4 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons

• 2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

• 2 cups fresh Italian parsley leaves

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 5 tablespoons lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

• 1 tablespoon harissa

• 2 teaspoons ground sumac

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, toasted

* Jerusalem Artichokes: Also called “sunchokes,” these small tubers look like knobby potatoes (or sometimes like ginger) but are crunchier, sweeter, and have a slight artichoke flavor.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a small sauté pan, warm the butter, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt over low heat until the butter becomes frothy. Put the olive bread in a small mixing bowl and pour the butter mixture over it. Toss to coat the bread, and then spread it out in an even layer on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until the bread is crispy on the outside and slightly soft inside. Set aside to cool.

3. Put a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the Jerusalem artichokes, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the artichokes are browned and tender when poked with the tines of a fork, about 5 minutes.

4. Put the artichokes in a large mixing bowl. Add the olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, eggs, feta, lemon juice, harissa, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the sumac, and the cumin and gently toss together.

5. Just before serving, add the bread to the salad, and toss once more.