With summer winding to a slow soft close and the temperatures still warmer than I like
I try to cook with all of the garden stragglers
The tomatoes were especially sweet and plentiful this year
and my favorite was a small orange cherry.
I planted a wonderful variety of radish called D'Avignon.
It is spicy and flavorful and wonderfully crunchy.
I've used it on every thing from sandwiches to pizza.
These radish are really beautiful too
They pop up from the ground like little red footballs
and continue to ripen above the soil.
Some of the onions I dried and others I used fresh
through out the summer
So to keep the kitchen cool and use up
what the garden has so generously shared
I thought I'd make a
Tabbouleh salad
Tabbouleh is a Lebanese salad made with bulgur wheat, herbs and tomatoes.
It generally has more herbs than grain
but you can play around with this recipe to suit your taste.
The dressing consists of just olive oil and lemon juice...and don't forget salt and fresh pepper
For the greens I used wild arugula
which I have tons of right now
Some basil and mint
and lots of parsley
Adding some radish is not really traditional but hey...use what you have!
Cucumber is a nice addition and green scallions are optional
but I had them, so in they went!
Prepare your bulgar according to the package directions so you have about 2 cups
Then chop, chop chop the rest of your veggies
I had about 5 cups of veggies and about 4 cups of greens and herbs
Mix it all together and add the bulgar
Finish off with olive oil...about 1/4 cup and the juice of 2 lemons
Season to taste
I actually like this a bit more acidic so I added some champagne vinegar too
Let this rest for about an hour to allow the bulgar to absorb all of the flavors
Serve in butter lettuce cups with grilled naan bread or pita chips
It's just that simple
hope your summer has been wonderful
xo
kelley