Sorry for the long wait, it's been a very busy July, filled with food, friends, & fun. Three f-words that are fantastic, not foul. While there were many recipes to choose from to blog about, I've decided to begin with a taboulleh recipe that my dearest foodie-friend Gwen was kind enough to share with me. It's one of my absolute favorite foods in the world, and Gwen's is simply the best I've had.
I've made it twice so far this month, first with a spread of Middle Eastern food for my friends Estefania and Ruby, and second after a trip to the farmer's market on Ivar between Hollywood and Vine with Mack. The herbs and heirloom tomatoes were calling to me to make the dish again. I'll share some photos from both!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cracked bulghur wheat
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1/3 cup lemon juice, or three lemons' worth
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil: something tasty, not the cheap stuff- you'll taste the difference!
2 bunches Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 pint of grape tomatoes, quartered, or equivalent amount of your favorite type of tomato
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
**got tomatoes that aren't quite ripe? include 1/2 tsp of sugar.
Pour the boiling water over the bulghur in a large bowl, and cover tightly with saran wrap. Let stand one hour, then drain any remaining water and fluff it up with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a smaller bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and sugar if you're using it. Set aside.
Next, mix the bulghur, parsley, mint, and tomatoes. Add the lemon and olive oil mixture to taste. And, per Gwen's exact instructions: EAT.
The girls and I enjoyed this dish along side homemade hummus and falafel, and it went swimmingly. Well, the combination of flavors went swimmingly, but the falafel wasn't quite perfect. It sort of fell apart. But the flavor was great! No matter, there's time for improvement.
Mack and I enjoyed the taboulleh along side a bean salad and corn on the cob. The heirloom tomatoes that I picked up at the farmer's market really added some unique color and pizazz to the dish. Check out the many colors inside the red heirloom in the picture below! Goregous.
The fresh flavors, though not traditionally paired, went quite well together. It really felt like summer. Nothing like a no-cook dish to cool you off on a hot day! Pair it with some iced tea and you're good to go.
Get out there and enjoy the flavors of summer!
No comments:
Post a Comment