Israeli-Spiced Tomatoes, DF Yogurt Sauce, and Chickpeas

Aug 3

Recipe by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg.

I have added a few notes to the recipe but otherwise this is how it appears in Six Seasons. In the head note Joshua suggests using a few drops of lemon juice if you can’t find sumac~ see note below. I made it dairy-free by using CoYo Coconut Yogurt, just be sure you use something rich, thick and unsweetened.

Serves 6

1 teaspoon ground sumac

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced

6 small or 3 big tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices

¾ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt, I used coconut yogurt

1 small cucumber, (peeled and seeded, if necessary), and chopped

2 cups lightly packed mixed basil, mint, and flat-leaf parsley leaves, half roughly chopped and half left whole or torn

Hot sauce, such as sriracha, I left this out as I found it spicy enough with the chili flakes

1 cup cooked chickpeas

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the sumac, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic in a little bowl. Layout the tomatoes on a baking sheet (I used the bowl I was serving the dish on) and rub the spice mixture all over them. Let them sit for up to 1 hour while you fix the rest of the dish.

Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, and chopped fresh herbs. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce, if using. Let the sauce sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour, if you can, then taste and adjust the seasoning so the sauce is nicely savory. If you use coconut yogurt, keep it in the fridge.

Toss the chickpeas, onion, vinegar, and parsley leaves. Season with salt and black pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a glug of olive oil and toss again.

Arrange a layer of the marinated tomatoes on a platter, and pour any accumulated juices over the tomatoes. Drizzle or dollop the yogurt sauce onto the tomatoes and tumble the chickpea salad on top.

I added a thick grass-fed beef ribeye right from the grill for side of my protein to make it a full meal, but you can choose the protein that suits you best.

Enjoy!

Stephanie

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