An abundance of juicy nourishment emerges during summer to help protect us from the seasonal heat. The following recipe incorporates fresh mint and cucumber to cool you down. This is a flexible dish that can be adapted to your tastes, imagination and creativity. Have fun.
Summer Tabouli
- 1 – 2 bunches of finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped fresh mint (you can add lemon balm)
- 1 cup of your favourite cooked grain (Bulgur, Quinoa, Millet, Rice, etc.)
- 1 chopped tomato
- ½ chopped (diced or sliced) English cucumber
- 3 green onions chopped (or fresh chives)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (or add minced fresh hot chilies)
Mix it all together in a big bowl. Store in the fridge and eat it chilled or at room temperature. This dish is nice served wrapped in crisp romaine lettuce leaves or in a pita pocket. Top it off with some edible summer flowers for extra colour and fun.
Parsley is pungent and mint is both pungent and cooling. Pungent properties in food assist sweating and can help the body release heat through the pores. The flowers help draw heat out from the centre to be dispersed outward and relieve heat congestion.
Devorah Fallows says “Eat – Enjoy – and Be Well!â€
