Sweet & Savory Kitchens

Aunt Suzy says

I subscribe to Weeknight Kitchen from The Splendid Table,  an email with an easy-to-make supper recipe that comes out each Wednesday.  This recipe turns Tabbouleh into a main dish salad and utilizes the current season’s produce.  What could be better!

A note about ingredients and quantities:

The original recipe called for a cup and a half of bulgur but when I made this recently when visiting Margaux’s Mom, we both agreed that we wanted more vegetables/herbs and less bulgur.  Quinoa could be substituted for the bulgur.   I also think this is a recipe where quantities are guidelines.  Randy and I will try more mint next time and a little more cayenne pepper.  I have a hunch that cumin and paprika would be nice additions to the dressing.  To make judging quantities easier, I put the measured amount I used in parentheses for some items.  Whether you follow the recipe to the letter or use it as a jumping off point for your own creation, I think you will enjoy it.

The Dressing

1/4 cup EV olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 large clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press

a pinch each of cinnamon, allspice and cayenne pepper

Blend all together and set aside while making the salad.

The Salad

1 cup bulgur wheat

1-2 tomatoes, seeded and diced (1 cup)

1 cucumber, seeded and diced (1 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup diced onion

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup fresh spearmint, chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Place the bulgur in a large bowl and add 1 cup boiling water.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Add tomato, cucumber and onion and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chickpeas and the dressing and stir to blend well.  Add the mint and parsley, stir again, taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve on a bed of lettuce, with pita and hummus – maybe some olives.

Another suggestion was to serve as a sandwich in a pita pocket, which we did today.  We spread the inside of the pita with some garlicky hummus, then placed the salad inside the pita.  My upstairs neighbor, Krisztina, had some fresh Hungarian peppers in the garden.  We sliced one up and added to the sandwiches along with some feta crumbles I got at the farmer’s market yesterday from Singing Hills Goat Dairy.  Delicious with lemon-mint iced tea.