Don’t let this platter overwhelm you! So many of the items can be made the day before or even days before.
With a little prep the day prior this spread comes together quite quickly to create a beautiful dinner. The pita pockets contain 3/4 cup whole wheat, using 100% whole wheat worked too, but they were just a little dense and nutty for what I had in mind.
Lets start with the sumac chicken thighs, a Turkish spice along with fresh garlic , lemon and a small onion. The chicken marinated over night. You can find that easy recipe here.
There is also a splattering of sumac marinated onions. This dish is a colorful, flavorful addition and will boost the flavor of a variety of different meals. It will store for a couple weeks in the refrigerator. You can find that recipe here,
Homemade pickled cucumbers are easy to do at home and last for weeks in the refrigerator too, They were a fun addition and can be made in advance as well.
Hummusis a big feature on the this platter along withtzatziki sauce. Both excellent dips for many other foods as well.
Lemon- lime tahiniwas a big hit with the pita pockets. You can make this ahead too.
The rest of the platter had cucumbers, fresh organic tomatoes, organic hot house cucumbers, diced Napa cabbage, honey oranges and apples with cloves, whipped goat cheese, olives, and pistachio nuts. All very easy to add.
Fresh pitas make this platter work. Once you make them fresh you will never go back to store bought pitas again. These should be made the day of the platter. They can cook the same time that you bake the chicken. It times out perfectly.
The time looks like it takes awhile but 1 hour of it is letting the dough rest and rise.
Ingredients
Pitas
2 c organic bread flour,
3/4 c stone ground whole white wheat flour, You have the option to swap out the white for more wheat here, just add 1 -2 teaspoons of liquid for every cup swapped. The whole wheat pitas are good but were a little heavy and sweet for this dish.
1 t salt
1 T honey
2 t yeast (active dry)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Method
The yeast mixture
1)
Add your tablespoon of honey to one cup of warm water. I use a large liquid measuring cup. Stir
2)
Add your 2 teaspoons of yeast.
Dry Ingredients
1)
While you wait for your yeast to awaken and bubble mix together your two flours and the salt.
2)
Once your yeast is ready (after about 5 minutes) slowly add to your flour bowl and start to incorporate with a wooden spoon.
3)
Add your olive oil.
4)
Your mixture will be lumpy and you will probably have to start to use your hands at this point to lightly knead the dough together picking up the dry parts in the bowl as you go along. I take it out and knead on the counter to mix everything well then set in a bowl and cover with a flour towel. It will rest for one hour.
Making the pitas
1)
Your dough will double in size. Move to your counter and role into a log shape, cutting 6-7 even pieces. Roll those into balls and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
If you are making the sumac chicken you can put it in your oven now. They will cook in about 20 minutes. Perfect timing for the pita bread.
2)
You can prepare your pan for the pitas while they rest, covering the bottom of heavy skillet with olive oil and turn the heat on the higher end of LOW.
3)
You can start to roll out your pitas into 6 inch circles. They should be rolled pretty flat, think thin sugar cookie. A little less than a 1/4 inch.
4)
Add one to your skillet and put the lid on for 2 minutes, you should see your dough start to bubble up. Flip it over. Cook for 1-2 minutes with the lid back on.
Go through the process until you are done with the dough balls.
5)
Keep warm under a cloth as you assemble your platter.
