Celery and Za’atar Tabouli

3 tablespoons fresh or dried thyme
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons sumac
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (not traditional, but adds a nice bite of heat)

Tabouli

1 cup bulgur wheat
1/4 cup za’atar
1 3/4 cups boiling water
Juice and zest of 1 to 2 lemons
2tablespoons walnut or olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
4 to 6 inner stalks of celery with leaves, finely chopped (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery with leaves)
1 onion or 2 scallions, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Crumbled feta cheese (optional)

In a large bowl, stir za’atar into bulgur wheat and pour boiling water over the mixture. Let sit until the water is completely absorbed, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, zest and juice your lemon, chop your parsley, onions and celery, toast your walnuts. 

When the wheat has absorbed all the water and cooled to room temperature, stir in zest and juice of one lemon (you might add more later) and 2 tablespoons of walnut or olive oil. Add in chopped parsley, onions, and celery and stir well. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the rest of the seasoning to your taste. You may need more oil and/or lemon juice, and you may want to stir in more za’atar. 

To serve, scoop the tabouli onto a plate and add a tablespoon or so of plain yogurt. Sprinkle the yogurt with a tablespoon of the chopped walnuts and a pinch or two of za’atar.