Tabbouleh...

My mother used to run. When I was around 12, she started running up and down the roads of Portola Valley. For fun and for health. Soon the whole nation was running! To this day I am convinced mom started it. Just like Al Gore invented the internet.

Eventually the whole family started to run. My sister, her husband Tad, my husband Alan, mom and I started running in races like "Bay to Breakers" and "Wharf to Wharf".  After running the race (badly) the Shelby family and our family would have gourmet food and lots of wine and beer. It was fun! So fun that I think the only reason Alan ran was to be able to go to the picnic afterwards! Here's one of the utterly delicious recipes...it's inexpensive and keeps beautifully!

This is originally from the Oakland- East Bay Junior League Cookbook called "California Fresh". Pine nuts are very pricey...and not necessary...but you can put them in if you wish! Yield: serves 8-10

Ingredients:

 Dressing:
1/2 /C olive oil
6 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 /c loosely packed chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 C loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
3 chopped green onion white parts ( including about an inch of each green portion)
1/2 t minced garlic
3/4 t cumin
3/4 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper

Salad:
1 C bulgur wheat (such as Kasha)
1/2 C boiling water
1/2 C pine nuts (optional)
2 medium tomatoes seeded and finely chopped, or 8 oz. "grape tomatoes" sliced in half

Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. Set aside. Add boiling water to bulger and stir to moisten evenly. Immediately stir in dressing, optional nuts, and tomatoes. Set aside for at least 8 hours or refrigerate overnight to allow "vulgar bulger" to soften and absorb dressing. To serve...line a serving bowl with romaine lettuce and fill with tabbouleh. OR-- serve it in a large "sand-pile" mountain on a platter. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. You can always opt to cut a few extra tomatoes into "flowers" and put them in the midst of randomly placed bunches of fresh mint leaves around the edge as well.  Just don't let the stems of the mint show!

Note: Keeps well several days in the refrigerator