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Making Oregon the first state in the nation to collect, store and distribute food to the hungry was one of former Gov. Vic Atiyeh’s proudest accomplishments.

Born in Portland to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother, Atiyeh became America’s first Arab-American governor in 1979, and during the economic recession that was right around the corner, he sponsored the nation’s first state food bank (now the Oregon Food Bank Network). In 1985, he signed Oregon’s Brewpub Bill into law, cementing the state’s role as a leader in the craft brewing industry.

Atiyeh grew up in Portland, as American as apple pie — his immigrant parents were eager to assimilate as quickly as possible. His mother was from Beirut and his father came from a village west of the old city of Homs in northern Syria, which Atiyeh made a point to visit any time he was on official business in that part of the world.

He probably ate dishes like this one all the time while he was there. There might be dietary adaptations during occasional times of political unrest (see this fascinating account of how Homsi cooks adapted to life under the 2014 siege), but otherwise people have more or less eaten the same types of dishes there for thousands of years.

In addition to the other expected Levantine fare — oily and spicy dishes brightened with sour yogurt and fruit molasses, crisp cucumbers, fresh herbs and unleavened breads — the Homs area is known for a raw type of kibbeh (kibbeh nayyeh) and various stuffed eggplant dishes.

Known more broadly as lahmacun, lahme b’ajeen comes from a large Middle Eastern family of quickly baked, well-seasoned, meat-smeared flatbreads, all of which are invariably called “[insert nationality here] pizza” by culinary lumpers. But lahme b’ajeen is so much more than Syrian pizza.

In his excellent post on the subject, Syrian-American writer Antonio Tahhan describes how, in his grandmother’s community in Aleppo, people don’t usually bake at home because most neighborhoods have communal ovens staffed by a neighborhood baker. In fact, home cooks needn’t even bother making the dough — they can simply send their homemade meat topping to their block’s baker, who are more than happy to take it from there (for a small fee).

I do have an oven, but I still think Vic Atiyeh would have appreciated the efficiency of using store-bought flatbread (in this case, whole wheat lavash) as a shortcut. The eggplant spread is also delicious on crackers. Makes about 2 cups of eggplant spread, enough for 6-8 large lahme b’ajeen.

Note: Look for jarred red pepper paste in the Turkish or Middle Eastern section of international grocery stores (it comes either mild or hot). You’ll usually see at least Zergut and Sadaf brands. It turns moldy quickly, though! After opening the jar, I recommend freezing the rest of the paste in an ice cube tray. You can also use harissa in a pinch.

Ingredients

1 pound eggplant, preferably smaller ones (Indian or Italian are great here)

1 medium-sized tomato

1 small onion or shallot

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon red pepper paste (see note)

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or sub guajillo)

½ teaspoon sumac

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

½ teaspoon red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

For serving

4 large, thin flatbreads such as lavash

Sliced onions

Fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, cilantro, mint)

Plain yogurt (optional)

Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Arrange the eggplants, onion and tomato on a sheet pan and roast, turning once or twice, until the skins are charred and splitting, about 30-45 minutes. If you have the opportunity to romanticize your life a little, I really recommend doing this outdoors over a fragrant wood smoke, while crouched near the fire or maybe sitting on an overturned crate, cold beverage in one hand, tongs in the other. The smoke may burn your eyes, but sometimes it’s worth a little discomfort to create something so much more delicious. #deepthoughts
2. Once everything is roasted to silky perfection and purged of its charred skins (discard these), give it all a rough chop. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic, tomato and pepper pastes. Quickly stir-fry until the garlic is fragrant and the pastes are starting to caramelize, about a minute or two.
3. Add the spices, stir-fry for a couple seconds, then add the roasted vegetables, pomegranate molasses and vinegar. Add a few generous pinches of salt and pepper.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, occasionally stirring and mashing with the spoon, until the mixture has reduced down to a thick, spreadlike consistency, about 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. To serve, spread a thin layer of the eggplant mixture on the flatbread, then pop it back in the oven (or on the grill) until the bread has crisped up but is still pliable enough to fold. Add your choice of toppings to the baked lahme b’ajeen, then fold or roll it up to eat.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/24/superabundant-recipe-eggplant-syrian-pizza-vic-atiyeh/