{"id":7360,"date":"2022-10-07T11:11:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T16:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/?p=7360"},"modified":"2022-10-09T12:23:05","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T17:23:05","slug":"run-a-tab-on-tabbouleh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2022\/10\/run-a-tab-on-tabbouleh\/","title":{"rendered":"Run\u00a0a Tab on Tabbouleh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It was in the afternoon break between Yom Kippur services the other day when my stomach growled for tabbouleh after sundown. I usually hit a market on the way home for items to donate to a shelter (my congregation traditionally collects these at the end of the Day of Atonement), so I also gathered the ingredients I didn&#8217;t have as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trouble was finding a recipe that fit the tastes in my memory. What follows is more than usual my choices, but it is based on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/recipes\/tabbouleh-parsley-mint-wbrp38111231\">Mark Bittman recipe<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The amounts below are for pot-luck \u2014 the traditional Levantine salad was a hit at the synagogue&#8217;s break-the-fast that evening \u2014 and makes 7-8 cups, so up to 16 servings. It&#8217;s easily halved for home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" id=\"block-9a6b05e3-61f5-446f-81e8-16b20c0ddac6\"><li>1&nbsp;cup bulgur wheat, preferably medium or coarse grind<\/li><li>3 cups boiling water<\/li><li>1 pound fresh tomatoes, perhaps 3-4 Romas<\/li><li>12 oz. cucumber, about 3 small or 1 large<\/li><li>3-4 green onions or scallions<\/li><li>1 bunch fresh parsley, curly or flat-leafed<\/li><li>1\/4&nbsp;cup&nbsp;lime or lemon juice, fresh or bottled<\/li><li>2-3 Tablespoons&nbsp;extra virgin olive oil (optional)<\/li><li>1-2 Tablespoons dried mint, preferably a combination of spearmint and peppermint<\/li><li>Salt and ground black pepper<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Place the bulgur in a medium mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Soak about 30 minutes.<\/li><li>Cut the tomatoes into 1\/2- to 1-inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl, including the juice etc.<\/li><li>Peel or partially peel the cucumbers \u2014 some peel left on the cukes is nice for color contrast \u2014 and cut in half longways. If seeds are well-defined and hard, scoop out and discard. Cut into 1\/2-inch pieces and add to the tomatoes.<\/li><li>Trim green onions and cut into 1\/4-inch slices \u2014 it will come to about 1\/2 cup \u2014 and place in the big bowl.<\/li><li>Remove thicker stems and yellow or wilted leaves from the parsley then rough-chop. That makes about 2 cups packed. Stir into the big bowl.<\/li><li>To the big bowl, add the citrus juice, optional olive oil, dried mint and 1\/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Stir the dressing ingredients into the vegetables.<\/li><li>Carefully drain the water from the bulgur, perhaps using a fine-mesh strainer. (The water can be reserved for later use in a soup.)<\/li><li>Add the bulgur to the large bowl and mix everything thoroughly. Taste to check for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed, maybe more citrus juice.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The tabbouleh does not need to rest, to &#8220;marry the flavors,&#8221; but served immediately. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated, used within a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Don&#8217;t process the parsley into lawn-mower much or it really will taste like grass.<\/li><li>Make this a whole-meal salad by adding 2 cups of drained, cooked beans, which should be on the firmer (not mushy) side, for instance 1 can of garbanzos to be quasi-traditional but someday I&#8217;ll add adzuki or other small red beans for color and texture.<\/li><li>If you have fresh mint, about 1 cup of leaves loosely packed is the measure. My garden&#8217;s was too scraggly, while our locally owned natural food store has top quality dried mints sold inexpensively in bulk.<\/li><li>Sorry, dried parsley absolutely will NOT work.<\/li><li>The olive oil can be omitted for fat-free dining. It&#8217;s an authentic taste and mouth-feel but not necessary to tabbouleh.<\/li><li>Taste a little of each cucumber before adding to the big bowl. Sometimes there&#8217;s a very bitter one, and it should be discarded.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was in the afternoon break between Yom Kippur services the other day when my stomach growled for tabbouleh after sundown. I usually hit a market on the way home for items to donate to a shelter (my congregation traditionally collects these at the end of the Day of Atonement), so I also gathered the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sides"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/tabbouleh-for-lunch-out.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5870,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2017\/11\/caldo-verde\/","url_meta":{"origin":7360,"position":0},"title":"Vegan Caldo Verde with a Fork","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"November 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Caldo Verde is a Portuguese soup, translated as \"green broth.\" I was looking for an entree with more or less its ingredients that would work on a plate not in a bowl -- for a potluck Thanksgiving. The surprise was how very quickly this comes together. My improv was a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main Courses&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main Courses","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/kook-cooks\/entrees\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Caldo Verde hearty potato kale stew, Thanksgiving 2017","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/Caldo-Verde-Tgiving-2017-UU-Fay-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6894,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2020\/12\/muesli\/","url_meta":{"origin":7360,"position":1},"title":"Musing on Muesli","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"December 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This is for when you want a hot cereal that's jazzed up but no extra trouble in the morning. That's how I enjoy this muesli, at any rate. Muesli is, however, intended to be served cold, even though it's mainly out-of-the-canister oats. Actually oatmeal, even the old-fashioned traditional sort, arrive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bake&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bake","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/kook-cooks\/bake\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Acme Brick Company sample","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/WindsorParkVelour-Acme-Brick-16-9-for-Featured-Image-stand-in.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/WindsorParkVelour-Acme-Brick-16-9-for-Featured-Image-stand-in.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/WindsorParkVelour-Acme-Brick-16-9-for-Featured-Image-stand-in.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/WindsorParkVelour-Acme-Brick-16-9-for-Featured-Image-stand-in.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/WindsorParkVelour-Acme-Brick-16-9-for-Featured-Image-stand-in.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/WindsorParkVelour-Acme-Brick-16-9-for-Featured-Image-stand-in.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3588,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2012\/03\/the-last-irish-soda-bread-recipe\/","url_meta":{"origin":7360,"position":2},"title":"The Last Irish Soda Bread Recipe","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"March 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In Food Section World, this long-evolved Irish Soda Bread recipe would be published before St. Patrick's Day. But in Brick World, I bake a loaf on St. Paddy's, relying on collected recipes. Brick could schedule the recipe for March 16, 2013, but why wait? Every newspaper every year notes that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bake&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bake","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/kook-cooks\/bake\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Irish Soda Bread","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/IMG_1680.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/IMG_1680.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/IMG_1680.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4607,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2013\/10\/says-who-miso\/","url_meta":{"origin":7360,"position":3},"title":"Says Who? Miso","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"October 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Miso is a fermented paste made of various grains and sometimes soybeans, originating in Japan. It's popularly used for a soup, simple to make but complex in taste. The vegan dish often is eaten for breakfast. Here, it's a quick lunch that can be made in the microwave oven in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main Courses&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main Courses","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/kook-cooks\/entrees\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5039,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2014\/12\/vegan-schnecken\/","url_meta":{"origin":7360,"position":4},"title":"Snack on Vegan Schnecken","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"December 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, schnecken can be veganized. I wouldn't be posting, but the sweet rolls were a hit at a party Christmas afternoon. The friends won't know the pastries were animal free until they read this. The earlier recipe, in this Brick \"Savor Schnecken Like a Snail,\" was last updated a year\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bake&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bake","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/kook-cooks\/bake\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Schnecken","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Schnecken.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Schnecken.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Schnecken.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Schnecken.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Schnecken.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Schnecken.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2675,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2011\/02\/moms-chili-if-she-was-vegan\/","url_meta":{"origin":7360,"position":5},"title":"Mom&#8217;s Chili, If She Was Vegan","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"February 8, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is Mom's Spaghetti Sauce, circa 1970s (my sister kept the index card): Brown 1 pound ground beef, drain. Add 1 Tablespoon salt, half an onion chopped, half a stick of butter, 1 (large) can tomatoes cut up, and 1 large can (2 small cans) tomato paste. Cook covered in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main Courses&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main Courses","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/kook-cooks\/entrees\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7360"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7377,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7360\/revisions\/7377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}