Noon-Panir-Sabzi
نون پنیر سبزی·(noon-pa-neer-sab-zee)
Sobhaneh: The Persian Morning Rhythm
Pull a fistful of wet tarragon from the water, shake it over the sink, and pile it onto a ripped sheet of lavash. In an Iranian home, breakfast is an assembled spread of raw, crisp ingredients. The morning smells of sweet black tea and the sharp hit of fresh basil. Noon-Panir-Sabzi—bread, cheese, and herbs—is a daily habit of tearing bread, hands reaching for a block of briny feta, and plates emptying of soaked walnuts. The secret isn't some complex spice blend, but how you treat the raw ingredients. Soak the feta to strip its harsh commercial brine, shock the herbs in ice water so they shatter with crispness, and plump the walnuts until they taste milky and fresh. Fold the edges tight and eat it standing up.
Before you start
Soak the walnuts to strip away their bitter tannins.
Place the raw walnut halves in a small bowl, cover them entirely with cool water, and let them sit for at least two hours or overnight in the fridge. Drain them before serving to reveal a sweet, milky crunch.
Temper the feta in cold water to extract harsh saltiness.
Remove the block of cheese from its package, rinse it, and submerge it in a bowl of cold water for one hour. Drain and slice into thick rectangles before serving, topped with sesame seeds if desired.
Ingredients
- block sheep's milk feta8 oz
- raw walnut halves1/2 cup
- black sesame or nigella seeds1 tbsp
- fresh sweet or Thai basil1 bunch
- fresh spearmint1 bunch
- fresh cilantro1 bunch
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1 bunch
- fresh tarragon1/2 bunch
- scallions1 bunch
- red radishes1 bunch
- pocketless pita or lavash4 large
- salt1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Disinfect and cold-shock the herbs to ensure maximum crispness.
Pluck the leaves of the mint, basil, cilantro, parsley, and tarragon from their thick stems. Fill a basin with very cold water and the salt, submerge all the herbs and scallions, and let sit for five minutes so the dirt falls to the bottom. Lift the herbs out carefully, then give them one final rinse under ice-cold water.
- 02
Dry the herbs completely on a clean cotton kitchen towel.
Do not rush this step, as wet herbs will rapidly spoil and dilute the flavor of your wrap.
- 03
Assemble the morning platter.
Pile the mountain of dry, vibrant herbs directly onto a large board, nestling the whole radishes and scallions into the greens. Serve alongside the soaked feta, drained walnuts, and warm flatbread.
- 04
Construct your loghmeh by layering the ingredients inside torn flatbread.
Tear a piece of warm bread about the size of your palm. Smear it generously with cheese, pile on an unruly handful of herbs, add a walnut and radish, fold it into a rustic wrap, and take a bite.
Notes
Navigating herb substitutions for the American supermarket.
The traditional delicate leek-chive known as tareh is tough to find in the States; rely heavily on the green tops of your scallions to provide that necessary mild allium bite. Thai basil is a great substitute for the purple basil often used in Iran.
Proper storage will keep your herbs crisp for up to a week.
Wrap any leftover, fully dried herbs in a dry paper towel and store them in a loosely sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Leftover cheese should be returned to a container of fresh saltwater.
From Cook Persian in America.