Panzanella Salad

I hate tomatoes but I secretly want to like them. They look so good, and then every time I eat one I gag. My mom says that she used to hate them when she was little too, so I keep trying just in case my tastes have changed. Well, yesterday I started craving them and remembered this bread salad I had seen Ina Garten making on the food network. I thought for sure I was going to make this whole salad and then hate it, but alas, it was so good that I had it for lunch today too! Maybe I am about to turn a new leaf when it comes to tomatoes? I hope so. Here is the recipe I used, which I adapted from Ina's based on what we had in the pantry:

Dressing
1 tbs Dijon Mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 tbs white wine vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
Combine everything in a little jar, put the lid on and shake it up until its emulsified.

Salad
1 cucumber chopped into chunks
2 tomatoes (heirloom are best I guess?) chopped into chunks
2 big handfuls arugula
1 big handful of basil, rolled up into little cigars and chopped
half of a red onion sliced into super thin half moons
fresh mozzarella chopped into chunk (optional only if you are crazy)
some stale bread (we used a baguette, the more the better)

Cut the bread up into chunks (maybe 2" pieces") and toss it in a pan over medium heat with some olive oil to get it crispy and toasted. Put them in the bottom of a big salad bowl and put the rest of the salad ingredients on top. add dressing to taste and toss. Top with mozzarella and enjoy!

Tabbouleh- The first sign of summer

When I was little we would go to visit my grandma in Petoskey, Michigan during the summer and she and my mother, along with my aunts would make this disgusting looking salad I called "taboooly".  I couldn't imagine eating something that looked  like oatmeal and vegetables stuffed inside a pita bread and stuck with my turkey and yellow mustard on wheat. Last summer I was on my pre-wedding diet that drove me to the edge of sanity, but also reunited me with tabbouleh which as it turns out is quite delicious. It is really refreshing on hot summer days, it is chock full of healthy vegetables, and best of all you can make a giant batch of it and keep it in the fridge for several days. Here is how I make it:


Tabbouleh Salad
1 cup Bulgar Wheat (in the bulk food section)
1 cucumber peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 lemon (zest and juice)
4 scallions chopped (white and most of the green part)
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup crumbled feta
drizzle of good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine the bulgar wheat with 2 cups of boiling water and let it sit for about 45 minutes until the grains are soft when you eat them. Drain the wheat in a fine sieve, removing all of the excess water. Add the vegetables, herbs, lemon zest and juice, and feta. Stir to combine and add a drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste. I like mine cold, but you can eat it at room temperature as well. Enjoy!