Is it a coincidence that two small countries — Israel and Japan — that are among the biggest overachievers on the world stage also have the healthiest diets and especially the healthiest breakfasts?
The Japanese traditionally eat a lean, protein-rich breakfast of soup, rice and fish. Israelis eat hummus for breakfast — always made to order in Israel and consumed by the bowlful; they also eat shakshuka, eggs baked in a paprika-laced tomato sauce with a few drops of olive oil; and Israeli salad, a relish of tomato, cucumbers, onion and green pepper.
The Israeli diet is low in animal protein and saturated fat and light on the alcohol. It is high in vegetables, citrus and olive oil, and in general has the best features of Mediterranean cuisine: good, fresh ingredients; simple, vigorous seasoning; and clean flavors. The Israeli diet isn’t as hugely varied as, say, the French diet, so it’s not surprising that Israelis tend to be fanatical about the quality of their staples: yogurt, olives and olive oil, cucumber, tomatoes, eggplant, sesame paste, dates, chickpeas and their peerless oranges and lemons.
When my old boss Udi Baron prepares Israeli salad, he insists on using small thin Persian (also called Iranian) cucumbers and golf-ball sized tomatoes on the vine from Costco, though the salad would taste just as good this time of year with any of the local ingredients now available at the market. When Udi’s brother, Doron, who is a well-known chef in Israel, showed me how to make this, he reluctantly allowed for the use of red onions instead of yellow onions, with the caveat that many in Israel considered this to be a debased “yuppie” variation of the dish.
The ingredients in this dish and the size of the vegetable pieces lead some people to mistake it for another condiment. Udi’s son Etai told me that when he brought a dish of Israeli salad to a potluck dinner, one of the guests complimented him: “Man, that’s some good salsa!”
John Broening cooks at Duo Restaurant, .
Israeli Salad
Makes about 7 cups
Ingredients
4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, rinsed, cored and diced
1 small green pepper, rinsed, cored, seeded, de-ribbed and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 medium standard cucumber or 3 small cucumbers, rinsed, ends removed and diced
1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves only, rinsed, dried and chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2lemon
Salt
Directions
Just before serving, mix all the ingredients together. Check for seasoning. Serve on the side with scrambled eggs, or with grilled fish or chicken.
