Mid-Atlantic
August, 2000
Regional Report
Recipes
Tabouli Salad
This bright and colorful salad highlights your fresh garden vegetables and tastes crisp and cool on a hot summer day. It's excellent alongside grilled meats and the perfect make-ahead dish for a buffet or potluck. There are many variations on this basic recipe, so feel free to use your best vegetables and follow your own tastes.
Ingredients:
1 cup cracked medium wheat (bulgur)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup chopped fresh Italian or curly parsley
2 plump cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chopped green or red onion
1 medium-sized cucumber, seeded and diced
2 or 3 medium-sized juicy tomatoes, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 small zucchini, chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
fresh black pepper to taste
dash of salt to taste
Serves 6-8
Preparation:
First thing, mix the cracked wheat and warm water in a small bowl; the wheat should absorb the water while you prepare the vegetables. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large glass or stainless-steel (nonreactive) bowl; then mix in the wheat. Make this the day before serving and cover and chill in the refrigerator so the flavors meld; stir occasionally to remix and before serving.
Web Finds
Penn State's Directory of Herbs
Penn State has produced a thorough gardener's guide to herbs (http://garden.cas.psu.edu/vegcrops/NEWHERBS.html). It provides helpful growing advice along with harvesting instructions and information about how to use and prepare each herb in the directory. The entries also include a bit of the folklore that makes herbs so fascinating and helps us connect to their significance in modern life.
