Tomato, Garlic and Sumac Salad

This post, and its recipe, have their purposes. I have devoted my personal culinary blog to exploring the cuisines and cultures from around the world. I often find myself conflicted in writing posts about food and recipes, especially when the people about whom I am writing face deprivation and starvation. That has certainly been the case when I prepare Palestinian recipes and write about their cuisine. Indeed, as of December 2023, the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza constituted eighty percent (80%) of the the people in the world who were experiencing famine or extreme hunger. How can I write about Palestinian cuisine and food when millions have been relegated to eating not only canned food, but expired canned food?

The answer is two-fold: first, to honor the culture and dignity of Palestinians who live in Gaza and the West Bank; and, second, to protest the reasons why Palestinians are being forcibly starved. Those are the purposes of this post: namely, to take what is a very simple recipe to prepare and use it to protest against the governments and militaries that are waging campaigns that use deprivation and starvation as critical components of their strategies. 

I have previously posted about the Palestinians, their culture and cuisine. I started with Zibdiyet Gambari, a spicy shrimp dish that came with a focus on the ties between Gazans, fishing and the sea.  I turned inland to make Gazan Dagga, a salsa that combines chiles with dill and that included a discussion of the ties between Gazans and their land, especially when it came to agriculture. I concluded with Qidreh, an amazing lamb and rice dish that accompanied a discussion of the assault upon the Palestinian people and their culture.  

All of those posts were my reaction to the inhuman, unethical and immoral campaign being waged by the far-right government of Israel against the Palestinian people. I had seen and heard too many people talk about how Hamas uses innocent civilians as human shields. That is a war crime. But I also saw and heard how the Israeli defense forces and the Israeli government - under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir - simply directed their campaign at and through those human shields, rather than trying to wage their war against Hamas in a way that minimized the impact upon innocent Palestinian civilians. I firmly believe that those government officials should be indicted, hauled to The Hague, and stand trial for violations of international law. 

To make matters worse, famine has both short term and long term consequences. Some of those long term consequences can impact future generations of Gazans. Study after study has shown that famine can cause increased risk of hyperglycemia (a condition most commonly associated with diabetes) not only in the current generation, but also the next generation. That next generation has a greater risk of developing diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular issues. Thus, in a real sense, Israel's use of starvation in its war against Hamas targets not only innocent Palestinians currently living in Gaza, but future generations of Palestinians. 

This simple dish of tomatoes, chiles, garlic and sumac symbolizes what has been taken away from Gazans: the ability to obtain fresh ingredients, the opportunity to prepare a simple dish, and the necessity of being able to feed themselves to survive. Enough is enough. There must be a permanent cease-fire, accompanied by a restoration to the Palestinians what is rightfully theirs in Gaza and the West Bank, and an opening of the borders to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need. 

TOMATO, GARLIC AND SUMAC SALAD

Recipe from Reem Kassis, The Palestinian Table, at 99

Serves 4-6

Ingredients (for the salad):

• 1 pound tomatoes, seasonal or heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
• 2 green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh mint, stems removed, and leaves coarsely chopped
• Flaked sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac

Ingredients (for the dressing):

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Prepare the tomatoes: Arrange the tomato slices in a pretty serving platter or plate. 

2. Prepare the dressing. Put the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and whisk until well combined, then spoon over the tomatoes. 

3. Finish the dish. Sprinkle the tomatoes with flaked sea salt, then top the chopped green chiles and mint leaves and sprinkler with sumac. Serve immediately. 

PEACE.