Homemade Matbuha
Served with a crusty loaf of bread, or soft challah—both are great—this is a salad that tastes like summer to perk up flagging appetites. A good and garlicky way to use up ripe tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 5 ripe tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon of chopped or pureed preserved lemon peel (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by peeling the tomatoes. Cut a shallow x in the bottom of each tomato. Bring a pot of water, large enough to hold the tomatoes, to a rolling boil. While the water is heating, prepare a large bowl of ice water, and set aside. When the water boils, add the tomatoes, and after 30 seconds, remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place them briefly in the ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove tomatoes from the ice water, and using your fingers, remove the skins.
- Cut each tomato crosswise, and remove the seeds, using your finger or a spoon. Roughly chop the tomatoes, place in medium bowl, and set aside.
- Roast the pepper on all sides, until charred all over. You can do this under the broiler in your oven, or on the stove top. Use a set of tongs to turn the pepper as it blackens on each side. Place pepper in a plastic bag, twist the top to seal, and place top down on the counter. Leave for 15minutes.
- Remove the pepper from the bag. The skin should slip off. Seed and chop. Place in bowl with tomatoes.
- Mince the garlic, and heat with the cumin and garlic in the olive oil over medium low heat, stirring, just until the scent of the garlic rises up.
- Add the tomatoes and peppers, and cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and add preserved lemon if you like, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cool and refrigerate in covered container until ready to serve.