So was the cry of a then 3-year-old child, determined and clear that she did not like the meal that had been presented to her. I remember it so vividly, now almost 2 years ago, as we laughed at the simplicity of both the language and expression – but to be clear, Kathryn was not going to eat what she had been given.
Recently, and with frequency I have been reminded that it is human nature: as individuals we often have clear dislikes of certain foods. They may be a mere childhood memory, forgotten until we are again presented with the food or forefront in our minds from a recent holiday meal ‘trauma’. The result is often a lifelong association that you simply do not like that food. Recent dinner guests have informed me that they do not like sweet potatoes, grilled eggplant or steak medium rare to name a few. For me, there are several.
Cucumbers: to me they are like a banana that has been left sitting next to a sandwich – their flavor and scent is invasive, transforming all they touch with a cucumber flavor. Growing up my family loved them – to me it simply ruined the dish, typically a salad. Next on my list would be parsley; it is coarse, and even in the smallest amounts seems to overwhelm a dish, not only with its distinct flavor, but its texture – never seemingly blending with the meal. It saddens me, given my undying support for all things dairy, that my next dislike is feta cheese; yes, I have something unfavorable to say about cheese. I am not sure if it is the texture as much as it is the flavor – not really mild or strong; somewhere wishy-washy in the middle. It just seems to be ‘there’, languishing.
The next thing I am about to share (shocking!) is that I have acquired a seemingly new love of Taboulleh Salad. It all started with one of my colleagues, Liz, who has a declared passion for Taboulleh Salad as made by our Executive Chef Janet Kirker. I too was privileged to sample this salad recently, never for a moment sharing that “I cant like that…” I was delighted, surprised and had to have the recipe (see below).
This past weekend, I indulged my new found love and made the salad for myself. Adding to the thrill was that I used ingredients directly from my own garden – fresh mint and parsley; both of which I had planted for this very moment. I made some personal edits on the recipe; adding cucumber and feta cheese to give me the best chance of the enjoying what I had only weeks before.
It has all made me feel considerably more adventurous and less apprehensive about not only trying new things, but trying things anew! I invite you to do the same.
Taboulleh Salad
Yield: 4 servings as a side
Active Time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour 2 minutes
1 cup bulghur wheat (medium ground)
2 cups warm water
½ cup parsley, rough chopped
2 tablespoons scallions, sliced thin on the bias
¼ cup mint leaves, rough chopped
4 roma tomatoes, medium dice
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
- Soak the bulghur and water together in a medium size bowl for 1 hour.
- After the bulghur has been soaked, drain well through a fine sieve, pressing out any excess water. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Fold the parsley, scallions, mint, tomatoes and garlic into the bulghur.
- Mix in the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Allow the flavors to blend for about 2 hours, refrigerated prior to serving.