Spiced Tomatoes with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, and Chickpeas

Recipe from “Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables” by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg

1 teaspoon ground sumac (If you don’t have, or can’t find, you can use grated lemon zest seasoned with salt and pepper, or lemon juice. But it’s a great spice to have around.)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
6 small or 3 big tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices
¾ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt (ideally, not Greek)
1 small cucumber, (peeled and seeded, if necessary), and chopped
2 cups lightly packed mixed basil, mint, and flat-leaf parsley leaves, half roughly chopped and half left whole or torn
Hot sauce, such as sriracha, I left this out as I found it spicy enough with the chili flakes
1 cup cooked chickpeas
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flatbreads for serving

Mix the sumac, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic in a little bowl. Lay out the tomatoes on a baking sheet or serving dish and rub the spice mixture all over them. Let them sit for up to 1 hour while you fix the rest of the dish.

Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, and chopped fresh herbs. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce, if using. Let the sauce sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour, then taste and adjust the seasoning so the sauce is nicely savory.

Toss the chickpeas, onion, vinegar, and parsley leaves. Season with salt and black pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a glug of olive oil and toss again.

If using a baking sheet, arrange a layer of the marinated tomatoes on a platter, and pour any accumulated juices over the tomatoes. If using a serving sheet, leave in place. Drizzle or dollop the yogurt sauce onto the tomatoes and tumble the chickpea salad on top. Serve with freshly grilled or warmed flatbreads.