Tabbouleh

I have three food dislikes.  Tuna fish - just can't get over the smell enough to even try it.  Back in my office days, I silently cursed the person who ate tuna for lunch in the office kitchen and stunk up the whole place.  Olives - I don't know, just have never been able to get into them.  And tomatoes - just always worry that I'll get a mealy one, so I generally avoid them.

With the exception of tuna fish, I like foods made from olive and tomatoes.  Olive oil is a staple in my pantry (and I'd gladly dip loads of fresh made bread in it).  I like ketchup with my fries, salsa with my chips and prefer tomato sauce to cream sauce on my pasta.  But the actual tomato plain, I just can't do.  Unless...... it's in *my* tabbouleh (I didn't actually make up the recipe.  I got it from a vegetarian cookbook years ago and haven't the faintest idea what it's called.  All I remember was that it was square-shaped book). 

There is no shortage of tomatoes here.  In fact, you only have to locate one person selling a small kilo of tomatoes in order to find 4 dozen others selling the exact same kind of tomatoes for the same exact same price right next to them (more on this curious developing country phenomenon later).  But what there isn't much of is cherry tomatoes!  So when I do find them, I go straight to the parsley, cucumbers and green onions at the farmer's market and head home to make this recipe:

Tabbouleh
1 cup cracker bulger wheat
1/2 tsp salt
1 large bunch Italian parsley
5 green onions, cut into thirds
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small cucumber, diced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1) Place bulger, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes

2) Cut off main parsley stems, then cut remainder of bunch into thirds.  Combine parsley with green onion and finely chop in food processor.

3) In large salad bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.  Add the bulger, parsley mixture, cucumber and tomatoes and stir to combine.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Chill.

The picture isn't of the tabbouleh on its own.  I don't have much patience for pictures when a fresh batch is made.  Rather this was the result of having run out of pita bread to eat it with but having some salad greens on the verge of wilting in my fridge. And since all that green stuff just looked too healthy, I grilled up a few slices of halloumi cheese to put on top.  You know, for protein ;).