Levantine Avocado Toast

Fun fact: The powerhouse behind one of the best markets in Portland is the shopkeeper's Mother! Ramzy Farouki, the owner of NE’s Jerusalem Rose Market, curates the most thoughtful store-space by intentionally stocking his shelves with goods from the Arab-speaking world, local POC farmers and creators, and coffee from San Francisco’s Palestinan-owned Grand Coffee. But it’s Ramzy’s mother, Mary, and her contribution to the market that has people stocking up before trips to the river, park picnics and snacks for dinner nights. Her mint labneh and hummus take up permanent real estate in my refrigerator and my Google calendar reminds me every Saturday at noon that she’s about to drop off fresh falafel to the store.

So, to honor one of Portland’s most-clutch food Moms, I wanted to create a Mother’s Day dish showing off her hummus. This “toast” requires an empty stomach and a steak-knife, but not a ton of kitchen skills to pull off. Consider this your cheat sheet to make the Mom in your life extra proud.

Serving size: 1

Ingredients

• 1 slice of hearty, seedy bread (toasted to Mom’s liking)

• 2 tsp. sunflower oil

• ¼ cup Jerusalem Rose hummus

• 1 poached egg

• ½ an avocado, thinly sliced into spears

• 1 generous slice of halloumi cheese

• About 5 pickled red onions

• 2 tsp. freshly chopped mint leaves

• 1 tsp. sumac

• ½ tsp. flaky salt

• Hot honey (optional depending on Mom’s penchant for spice)

Mise En Place

First of all, this is for a Mom in your life, so break out the cute plates. Rest your toasted bread on a plate and heat oil over medium heat, until smoking.

Using tongs, place your haloumi cheese into the center of the pan and cook on each side for about three minutes each. You want the cheese to be heated all the way through and to brown along the edges. The cheese stiffens after being removed from the heat, so after you’ve cooked it, you’ll want to move fast.

Spread a generous amount of hummus evenly all over the entire surface of your bread, next fan out the sliced avocado so it also covers the toast before stacking your halloumi slab on top of the avocado.

Finally, balance your poached egg atop the fried cheese before garnishing the toast with a confetti of the remaining ingredients. Serve to the Mother in your life with a steak knife–and to show her some extra love, don’t forget the mimosa.