Food to brings us together

My friend Nermine believes "against all odds food brings us together." Her terrific blog Chez Nermine showcases cuisines from the many places she's lived and traveled. Last week while scrolling through I found a mouthwatering recipe for Batata Harra (Spicy Lebanese Potato Salad). Missing most of the ingredients, I adapted (which incidentally is the word of the year according to my friend Kate). I parboiled the potatoes as Nermine suggests, then diced them, tossed them in oil with salt and roasted them. Then inspired by Nermine's dressing and an abundance of fresh rosemary in my garden box, I made a hot dressing of 1/4 cup olive oil, about 5-6 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 crushed garlic cloves, a good grating of fresh lemon zest, and a shake of cayenne. I heated the oil and tossed in the rest of the ingredients letting the garlic turn golden brown and the rosemary get crispy and fragrant. When I pulled the the potatoes out of the oven I tossed them in the sizzling dressing...it was amazing. So, thank you Nermine for the inspiration! Take a look at what you've got on hand...this technique is endlessly adaptable.