Garden Mint for Taboulleh Salad

In summer most of us want our food to be fresh and light. In hot weather we don’t want casseroles or stews, roast beef and potatoes or hot desserts, even if they are chocolate.

Luckily, summer produce gives us just the kinds of food we want to eat and, even better, it’s often quick and simple to make. Here are some suggestions.

As luck would have it, we have a really great recipe right here for Taboulleh Salad. I’ve eaten this on hot summer days and it was just the most delicious and refreshing dish, perfectly suited to the weather. The fresh chopped mint in it combines perfectly with the bulgar wheat, lemon juice, tomatoes, spices and seasoning. I recommend it most highly.

Still on the salad theme, Citrus Watercress Salad is another one that is cooling on a hot day. This time the base is brown rice (very healthy!) which is mixed with fresh orange and grapefruit. I’m sure you could add or substitute lemon if you preferred. Then watercress and flavorings are added.

Just because it’s summer, it doesn’t mean we’ve given up a desire for desserts. With all the fresh fruit around, there is a huge choice of summer sweet dishes ranging from a simple fruit salad to much more complicated recipes. Let’s keep it simple, though. I don’t want to spend time in a kitchen toiling over a hot stove. Here are three of my favourites: Summer Pudding - using fresh raspberries, it’s absolutely delicious; here’s a nostalgic favourite - Knickerbocker Glory – the king of ice cream sundaes; then there’s Blueberry Cake, using the ultimate summer berry with the advantage it’s a very quick easy recipe to make.

Finally, we want long cool, drinks in summer. Most are also quick and easy to make as long as you have a blender or food processor. If you still want a chocolate fix, you can’t beat a Chocolate Milkshake. If you prefer your summer drinks fruity, take a look at these recipes for Smoothies, all using fruit.

Taboulleh Salad

Tabbouleh is probably the most famous of Middle Eastern salads. I had this recently as part of lunch in a Lebanese restaurant. It was so delicious and refreshing that I had to have the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of bulghur wheat (burghul)
• 2 cups finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup of finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• Lettuce leaves to garnish

Method

1. Using a sieve, wash the burghul in cold water, removing any stones. Drain it and squeeze any excess water out.
2. Place the burghul into a bowl with lemon juice and put aside.
3. Finely chop the parsley, traditionally done by hand.
4. Finely chop the mint and mix with parsley.
5. Cut the tomatoes into quarters,  remove and discard seeds and pulp.
6. Finely cut the remaining pieces of tomato.
7. Finely chop the onion, again making the pieces as small as possible. Once it is chopped, rub salt and black pepper into it.
8. Mix all the chopped ingredients with the burghul, then stir in the olive oil.
9. Put in a serving bowl, on a bed of lettuce leaves. It may be eaten immediately, or left for several hours in the refrigerator. The longer it is left, the softer the burghul becomes.