We usually resist the impulse to take thumb snaps of our food. But how else to quickly show you a dish that is perfect for the weather before we eat it: chopped vegetable salad on a bed of bulgur wheat – no cooking required.
It’s fast: Place 2 cups quick cooking bulgur wheat in heatproof bowl, and cover with this liquid mix: 1.75 cup boiling water, the juice of half a lemon (including the zest if you are ambitious) and enough olive oil to equal a total of 2 cups, plus a pinch of ground cumin, salt and pepper. Let sit until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. You now have about 5 cups of fluffy reconstituted bulgur wheat that can also be mixed into stews, soups or sautéed vegetables when you are cooking dinner.
It’s seasonal: To serve one, we used about .75 cup for a salad base (it’s pretty filling), and topped it with about 1.5 cups chopped mixed vegetables: Kirby cucumbers, roasted red peppers (from the jar, more flavor than raw), multi-colored mini tomatoes, and quartered Castelvetrano olives (vividly green and extra buttery). Top with feta cheese, lots of flat-leaf parsley (snipped with a scissors), and if you are in the mood, drizzle with some fine, young olive oil. But this salad is so lush and fresh, you don’t really need it.
It’s good for you: Our choice for quality organic grain is Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cook Bulgur, a medium grind hard red wheat that has been parboiled, dried and cracked.
