European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Living today salad clays Middle Eastern dishes Spruce up summer meals by Sharon Hudgins special to stripes Magazine sit k of Llu same old salads tired of tomatoes  care less cucumbers dressings Lasle Dull iceberg lettuce leave cold consider expanding your repertoire by making the following Middle Eastern which h have become quite popular in Europe and North America during the past 10 or 15 Tabbouleh is a salad composed of Burghl or bulgur Bell Cik and Flavoured with Lemon juice and Olive this versatile dish can be eaten As a firs course As a main dish on its or As a Side dish with grilled or traditionally Tabbouleh is served mounded on raw lettuce or cabbage or on boiled grape placed on Small individual leaves Are served so that the diners can use them to scoop up the Tabbouleh by i first encountered Tabbouleh at a lebanese restaurant in fort about 15 years i had no idea what i was but it certainly tasted since that Tabbouleh popularity has spread to the extent that it is a fairly common item at salad bars in american some adaptations of this dish use feta Black fresh or dried apricots but the following recipe is for an authentic lebanese version of Tab Bouli no matter How its the main ingredient is wheat that has been specially processed to produce Small granules that can be eaten raw after soaking in water or the wheat has been boiled until the grains then dried in the when the wheat has been thoroughly it is taken to a Mill and ground into one of three sizes or in much of the Middle wheat processed in this manner is known As Many Western recipes for Tabbouleh Call for the use of cracked wheat or bulgar neither of which is exactly the same As Middle Eastern cracked wheat is made from raw wheat grains that have been broken apart by coarse milling and the flavor is not As Rich and nutty As that of either Burghl or bulgur in the United bulgur wheat is made from grains that have been steamed dried by partially and then ground into Small the resulting product is very similar to Middle Eastern bulgur wheat produced in the United states ranges in color from Brown to Rich Reddis Brown because of the Type of wheat it is made Middle Eastern on the other is beige or dark beige in color because of the kind of wheat in the following recipe for i have used bulgur wheat which is More commonly available in the if you can find Middle Eastern All the better for stripes Magazine August substitute it equally in the Hummus by made from pureed Garbanzos and sesame seed is considered a salad in the Middle East but americans think of it More As a dip for raw or As a spread for crackers and my first encounter with Hummus by Tahina was in where it was served As an appetizer before the the egyptian version contained coriander and which gave a delightful flavor to this several versions of Hummus by Tahina can be found throughout the Middle and i have tried Many different recipes for this delicious the following recipe is my personal once youve tasted these two Middle Eastern youll begin to think of additional ways in which they can be Tabbouleh by or mixed Khalfan half with yoghurt makes a Nice stuffing for and pita Hummus by Tahina can be spread on Cucumber slices and topped with Black to make Hummus by Tahina is also very Good to eat As a spread on tyrolean Schuttel Brot and on scandinavian Rye flatbread the following recipe for Tabbouleh Dolmas combines these two Middle Eastern salads into an unusual appetizer that can be served As part of a or As the first course of a Tabbouleh salad 1 cup finely ground bulgur wheat 1 Small Cucumber Salt 1 medium to Large onion i cup finely chopped scallions White and Green parts to 2 cups finely chopped Parsley preferably Flat leafed Parsely i cup finely diced Green Bell Pepper optional i cup finely diced red Bell Pepper optional cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves or 2 Tablespoons dried mint i cup freshly squeezed Lemon juice cup Olive Oil 2 medium tomatoes Romaine lettuce leaves put the raw bulgur in a Fine rinse thoroughly under cold running then Transfer the bulgur to a medium size cover the bulgur completely with cold water and let it soak for 30 while you prepare the other Peel and finely Dice the place the pieces in a colander or Large Sprinkle them lightly with and set them aside to if you omit this there will be too much liquid in the finely chop the Green and red Bell and fresh mint set keeping the onions and scallions separate from the other after the bulgur has soaked for 30 Drain it and squeeze it As dry As possible by you can also put it in a in and press out the moisture with the Back of a wooden spread the bulgur in an even layer on a Large baking Sheet lined with a Kitchen and let the bulgur continue to dry while you finish preparing the other rinse the Cucumber pieces in the and set them aside to put the bulgur into a Large Glass add the onions and and mix by squeezing the ingredients together so that the bulgur absorbs the onion add the chopped Bell and toss to mix add the Lemon juice and 1 Teaspoon and toss again to mix add the Olive Oil and toss cover the Tabbouleh and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before just before chop the tomatoes finely and and them to the tossing All the ingredients once More to Combine them to Mound the Tabbouleh on top of Romaine lettuce on individual salad you can also form the Tabbouleh into a Large Cone on a serving Platter with lettuce and Garnish it with Black olives and additional strips of Green and red Bell serves 6 to 8 note Tabbouleh will keep for a week in the if you plan to store it for longer than a few hours in the always keep the tomatoes separate and add them just before Hummus by Tahina 2 cups drained Garbanzos Chick 4 Large cloves of garlic cup Tahina cup Olive Oil