SAUCE CODE

TAHINI SAUCE This is a creamy, nutty, rich addition to many a snack, dish or feast. It’s on every table in Palestine, ready to be dipped into or drizzled over roasted vegetables, fish or meat, and all sorts of leaf, pulse or grain-based salads. It keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days, so always make the full recipe.

Makes 1 medium jar tahini 150 g lemon juice 2T garlic 1 clove, crushed salt, to taste

Mix all the ingredients, along with ½ cup water and ¼ t salt. If it’s too runny, add a bit more tahini. If it’s too thick, add a bit more lemon juice or water. You want the consistency to be like that of a smooth, runny nut butter. It will thicken up when left to sit around, so just give it a stir and some more lemon juice or water every time you use it.

SUMAC YOGHURT Greek-style yoghurt 1 cup tahini 60 g lemon juice 1½ T sumac 2t

Place the yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, 2 T water, the sumac and ¼ t salt into a bowl and whisk well to combine.

SHATTA (RED OR GREEN) Makes 1 medium jar red or green chillies 250 g, stems trimmed and very thinly sliced (with seeds) salt 1T cider vinegar 3T lemon juice 1T olive oil, to cover and seal

Place the chillies and salt in a medium sterilised jar and mix well. Seal the jar and store in the fridge for 3 days. On the third day, drain the chillies, transfer them to a food processor and blitz: you can either blitz well to form a fine paste or roughly blitz so that some texture remains. Add the vinegar and lemon juice, mix to combine, then return the mixture to the same jar. Pour enough olive oil on top to seal, and keep in the fridge.