Za'atar Roasted Tomatoes and a Hummus Appetizer Bar

Why is it that we seem to put in a lot effort to create great appetizers when we're having company but not so much just for ourselves and our families? Personally, when I'm prepping dinner alone I tend to snack on some of the vegetables I'll be serving and I'm likely to grab a tub of hummus from the fridge to dip them in. And when I'm not alone, my kitchen sometimes becomes a free for all as hands grab for various bits of food while I'm prepping. Clearly there needs to be some kind of appetizer situation even during regular dinners.

 

When I do entertain, my dip of choice is usually hummus so the tubs of Sabra kind of live in my fridge year round. I love most of the flavors and it's always exciting to try any new ones they have but I frequently just make my own toppings.
 

Lately I've been loving roasted tomatoes as a topping for my hummus. I just roast any small tomatoes with olive oil and za'atar. Then I can use my homemade pita chip to scoop up a bit of hummus and a bit of tomato, maybe even a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese, and it's a perfect little bite.

The easiest way to prevent a crowd of grabbing hands in my postage stamp sized Manhattan kitchen is to just do a little bit of prep, pile it all on a big platter and place it on the dining room table. That leads to happy eaters and peace in my kitchen while I finish cooking the meal. Oh, and I know it's great to have people gathered around the kitchen as the heart of the home. But seriously, you just haven't seen the size of my kitchen.

 

As for what you serve on the appetizer platter, that's both personal taste and what I have in the house. But I love cucumbers and radishes with hummus and now that asparagus is in season I'm pretty much eating that by the truckload. The thinner spears are more tender and can be eaten raw.
 

You can just warm up some pita bread to put on the platter but I like making my own pita chips and they're ready in pretty much the same time as the tomatoes so it's not really any extra work. Plus the house smells amazing from all the za'atar roasted things. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 Servings

Author: Anita Schecter

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Za'atar Roasted Tomatoes and a Hummus Appetizer Bar

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Recipe for roasted tomatoes and a tutorial on putting together a hummus party platter and fixings bar.

Ingredients

For the Tomatoes:

• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Teaspoon za'atar seasoning

For the Appetizer Bar:

• 3 Tubs Sabra hummus (I used regular and lemon for this platter)
• 1 Bunch thin stalk asparagus
• 5 Radishes
• 1 English (seedless) cucumber
• 4 oz. Crumbled feta cheese
• 1 Can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Additional za'atar for seasoning vegetables

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half or in quarters depending on how large they are. Add them to a bowl and toss them with the olive oil and za'atar. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until the edges begin to darken.
3. To assemble the appetizer bar, wash and peel the asparagus with a vegetable peeler, wash and slice the radishes and cucumbers (no need to peel if you're using the English cucumbers) and plate along with the crumbled cheese and chickpeas.
4. Top the hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and the roasted tomatoes and season the vegetables with za'atar. For some additional flavor, try roasting the chickpeas with a variety of seasonings using this recipe.

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This recipe was sponsored by Sabra. Thank you for supporting the products I love and use in my kitchen.