Tabbouleh

This is such a brilliantly useful salad. Easy to make, really economical, keeps well,

fabulous for entertaining & universally loved.

Bulghur wheat is the one to use for this recipe. It is the wholegrain wheat crushed, parboiled, dried (often in the sun..well in Lebanon they probably do) & easy to use.

It comes in various sizes which makes for variation.

a cup & a 1/2 made this much

pour 3cups of boiling water over the wheat & leave to stand for 1/2 an hour
covered with gladwrap (yip that's it!)  chop the herbs in the meantime

Finely chop lots of fresh herbs including mint or apple mint, Italian or curly leafed parsley, coriander, basil, spring onions or chives

chervil (or whatever you have.. really doesn't matter), a whole red pepper & a jalapeno chilli

add good salt, freshly ground black pepper, juice of & zest..if you like.. of a lemon & 3 tbsps of good olive oil,

actually my capsicum could have been cut a bit finer but hey

Traditionally there is a lot more "green" in Tabbouleh but that's entirely up to you.

This salad keeps really well like this for days & is fabulous for picnics, shift work

& taking to a barbecue.

You can now add finely chopped tomatoes..coloured cherry & low acid tomatoes

are great..not so juicy, cucumber or firm avocado if you like.

Once you've added these things best to eat that day.

Olives are great too if you love them. Chopped capers also add a bit of zing.

Quinoa is a really interesting alternative for this salad.

Quinoa (keen wah) comes in 3 different colours, cooks in about the same time as rice

& contains almost complete protein. It has a nutty flavour.