- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 cucumber
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac or za’atar (optional)
- Remove the pith and seeds from the peppers and dice them along with the tomatoes, onion, and cucumber. Toss together in a wooden or ceramic bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour over the vegetables, mix, sprinkle with sumac or za’atar, and serve.
- Sumac powder, the ground berry of a Turkish evergreen tree. This Arabic ingredient, which was adopted into Israeli cooking, has a sour, fruity flavor. Za’atar, a spice mix made from wild oregano, sesame seeds, salt, and ground sumac, is ubiquitous in Middle Eastern cooking, often sprinkled on pita bread that’s been drizzled with olive oil.