The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

    Bulgur? I hardly know her!

    When I told my suitemates I was making Tabbouleh (Tah-boo-leh), I was met with an astounding and unanimous, “What the hell is Tubyulay?” Disappointed, I explained.A salad made of chopped parsley, onion, mint, tomatoes and bulgur wheat, Tabbouleh is very common in Southern Europe and the Middle East.Its exact origin depends on whom you ask. My dad’s side of the family insisted it came from Ancient Egypt, but tell that to a Lebanese or Syrian person and they might openly mock your ignorance. This particular recipe is attributed to the Lebanese, who rightly take pride in this tabbouleh incarnation. To feed four generously, you’ll need the following:•    ¼  cup bulgur             wheat•    1-2 bunches parsley•    1 bunch green             onion•    2 large tomatoes•    2 sprigs of mint•    3 lemons•    ¼ cup plus 1             tablespoon olive oil•    A sharp knife•    1 large, 1 medium         and 1 small bowl•    A large spoonRinse the tomatoes, parsley, mint and onions.Pour the bulgur into the medium bowl and slice one lemon in half. Squeeze the juice of both halves into the wheat and stir. Dice both tomatoes with your knife — the sharper the better — into small cubes no bigger than a stamp.Toss all the tomato cubes into the wheat along with as much of the leaked tomato juice as possible and stir. Add a tablespoon of oil. The bulgur should be slowly getting wetter and mushier as the ingredients mix.Grab your parsley and, with both hands, try to hold the parsley tightly together.Leave one hand at the tip of the leafy side of the parsley rope, allowing half an inch of parsley to sneak out. Cut off that half inch. Repeat all the way down to when the leaves thin and all you have left are green sticks. Throw out the sticks.Repeat the process with the green onions, but reserve the white roots, instead of the green leaves — the first 2-3 inches should do, chopped into thin discs.Check if the bulgur is soft; it should have the hardness of al dente pasta. If it is, mix the wheat, tomato, parsley and onion in a bowl. Garnish with mint leaves and use the remaining lemon juice and olive oil as dressing.

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    Bulgur? I hardly know her!