Turkish-Style Tabbouleh

As my father pointed out on Monday morning, some families visit shopping malls and casinos, but our family goes to grocery stores and produce markets!

With plans for another veg cookout on Memorial day, we left the house bright and early for a tour of my father's favorite downtown market, a Middle-Eastern shop with a vivid array of bright veggies.

While Zach and Dad went in search of eggplant and peppers, I spotted some lovely cracked bulgar from Turkey, which immediately had to come home with me...

Our next stop, naturally, was the local Trader Joe's!

After so many jaunts gazing at delicious ingredients, we returned home quite in the mood for brunch... and especially in the mood for whole wheat pancakes! Every time we visit my parents, we are always treated to my mother's wonderful, hearty, healthful whole wheat pancakes, topped with fresh fruit and raw, unfiltered honey... Glorious!

Of course, in my mind one can never have too much grocery exposure, so the very next day we met my mother for coffee at Whole Foods! While there, Zach and I discovered our beloved Labneh cheese. If you've never sampled this bit of brilliance, is pure, creamy, yogurt cheese heaven, which you should make immediately at home! Needless to say, an impromptu picnic took place at Whole Foods that day!

Returning to Monday night, though, we were joined by my college roomie Lisa and her husband Pete, and much cooking, grilling, and relaxing ensued.

In my family, hummus is a ubiquitous presence at every meal, and tabouleh salad is simply a natural partner to hummus and pita on long summery days. Since the bulgar I'd purchased was from Turkey, I decided to prepare a Turkish-style tabouleh, in which bulgar is the main ingredient, unlike Syrian or Lebanese tabbouleh composed primarily of parsley. While this wasn't quite the tabbouleh of my father's childhood, even he approved of my creation, which is the highest praise for which I could have longed!

Here's to warm evenings, on the front porch, with family and friends... Heaven truly is in the quiet moments.

Turkish-Style Tabbouleh

11 oz course cracked bulgar wheat

3 T olive oil

21 oz water

3 tomatoes, finely diced

2 cups very thinly sliced parsley leaves

2 mint sprigs, leaves removed and chiffonaded

Juice of 1 lemon

3 T olive oil

~ In a large pot over medium heat, toast the bulgar in the olive oil until the bulgar just begins to turn golden and becomes fragrant.
~ Add the water, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until all the water is absorbed.
~ Remove the bulgar from the heat, and stir in the tomatoes, parsley, chiffonaded mint leaves, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
~ Chill in the fridge, and serve cold!