Jeffrey's Tabbouleh

Last Monday Jeffrey and I spent the morning cooking up a storm.  He summoned me to come over and help him make food to eat for the week.  We work well together in the kitchen and I feel fortunate to have him as my friend and also my cooking buddy.

Ever since he got back from Israel Jeffrey has been preparing and eating all different kinds of Middle Eastern food. 

Tabbouleh, if you do not already know, is a wonderful Middle Eastern salad with vibrant flavors, primarily from the parsley, lemon, and nuttiness of the bulgur wheat.  The trick is to have just the right amount of lemon juice, and to let the flavors meld before serving.

Here is what you need to prepare this tasty dish:

3 cups fresh parsley, stemmed and finely minced in a food processor
1 cup bulgur wheat, soaked for 75 minutes in water and lemon juice
2 ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
1 medium cucumber, cored and diced
1 red onion, diced
2 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tbsp. mint, finely chopped
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill for 2-3 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Taste, and if necessary correct any imbalances in seasoning.  Serve in a bowl or on a bed of lettuce.