Bowl of Biet Jirja Salad
(click to enlarge)

Beit Jirja Salad


Palestinian Gaza
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 5 w/bread
**
35 min
Yes		 This is a "spoon salad", to be eaten with flat bread. It's a simple salad typical of Gazan refugees driven from the village of Beit Jirja, when it was destroyed by Israelis - see Comments.




1/4
1
1/2
1/4
1
1/4
3-1/2
1
1
--------

c
cl
t
c

c
oz
#
T
---

Dill, fresh (1)
Garlic
Salt
Lemon Juice,
Chili Serrano (2)  
Parsley
Cucumbers (3)
Tomatoes
Tahini, dark (4)
-- Drizzle
Olive Oil ExtV
Make   -   (45 min)
  1. Chop Dill small - measure is chopped and moderately packed. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Place in a mortar with Salt and pound to a paste.
  2. Cap SERRANO and seed it (unless you like your salad spicy - like the Gazans do) and chop fine. Add to the Paste and pound some more.
  3. Squeeze LEMON JUICE and add to the Paste.
  4. Chop TOMATOES very small and add to the Paste. Crush lightly to incorporate.
  5. Chop CUCUMBER fine and add to the Paste.
  6. Chop PARSLEY fine and add to the Paste - measure is chopped and moderately packed.
  7. Pour in Tahini and mix the Salad until all is evenly distributed.
  8. Place Salad in a serving bowl. Level the top and drizzle with Olive Oil.
NOTES:

  1. Dill:

      If fresh dill is not available, the pattern recipe allows 1/2 T Dill Seeds, but here in Southern California, Fresh Dill is much easier to find than Dill Seeds.

  2. Chili Serrano:

      I do not know what chili they would use in Gaza, but do know they are very fond of rather hot chilis. One Serrano with seeds makes this salad fairly hot by Southern California standards, so if you don't like it that hot, scrape out the seed mass before chopping.

  3. Cucumbers:

      Use Persian or some other smaller diameter cucumber that doesn't need peeling or seeding (English, Mediterranean, European, Japanese, Kirby). If you have only the standard waxed green blimps, peel and seed them before weighing.

  4. Tahini, Dark:

      I have found at least a dozen brands of Tahini in my local markets, but all of them are light. The pattern recipe suggests mixing 1 t Dark Sesame Oil with 1 T light Tahini.

  5. Comments:

    In Gaza, the Tahini and Olive Oil must often be omitted due to Israeli embargoes and extreme poverty. The Israelis have bombed all the olive and fruit orchards in the Gaza Strip into stubble. In violation of international treaty they have cut off the water supply. The aquifer will soon be depleted and it will not be possible to grow food there at all. Also in violation of international treaty, the Israelis prevent Gazan fishing boats from going out to where the fish are. The Gazans survive mostly on international food aid, but that aid money must be spent to buy food from Israel at inflated prices, because Israel blockades food from any other source, and allows no exports from the Gaza Strip. In disregard for International law and human rights, Israel is a criminal country.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove ",in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
mgv_beitj1 190603 gk58   -   www.clovegarden.com
©Andrew Grygus - agryg@aaxnet.com - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page is permitted.