Fresh Herb Platter (Sabzi Khordan)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds 
• 4 servings fleur del sel such as maldon salt, fleur de sel, or kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 
• 8 ounces feta cheese 
• 2 bunches flat parsley fresh whole
• 4 servings flat parsely 
• 0.3 cup olive oil extra virgin extra-virgin
• 6  radishes trimmed quartered
• 1 bunch spring onion quartered
• 2 cups walnuts (see Note below)

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan

Directions

1. Drain the feta and place it in a medium bowl. Grind the spices coarsely, if desired.
2. Heat a small skillet over high heat.
3. Add the coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds, and shake the pan continuously until the spices start to release their aroma, about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl and pour in the olive oil.
4. Add a pinch of coarse salt. Swirl the spices in the oil and steep for a few minutes.
5. Pour the mixture over the feta. You can even work it in with your hands, gently crumbling the feta, if desired.
6. Wash and dry the herbs. Trim the stems, but leave them intact.
7. Place the herbs on a large platter in a few fluffy piles.
8. Place the walnuts on the platter, along with the radishes and lavash.
9. Transfer the feta to the platter and garnish it with coarse salt.
10. For a single serving, pick up a few stalks of herbs. Tear the flatbread into a manageable piece and stuff it with the herbs, walnuts, a small piece of cheese, and a radish or two. Fold and eat like a sandwich.
11. To remove bitterness from the walnuts, place them in a bowl, add boiling water to cover and a pinch of salt, and soak from 1 hour up to overnight. Before serving, drain and rinse until the water runs clear.
12. Louisa Shafia's first cookbook, Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, was nominated for an IACP award. She has cooked at notable restaurants in New York and San Francisco, including Aquavit, Pure Food and Wine, and Millennium. Her recipes have appeared in New York magazine, Yoga Journal, Food Network Magazine, and Every Day with Rachael Ray. Look for Louisa on the Cooking Channel's Taste in Translation series, and visit her at www.lucidfood.com.