Heather's Quinoa Tabouli

First of all, what the heck is quinoa? If you don't know, quinoa is a grain that is rich in vitamins and protein. It's also gluten-free, unlike the traditional recipe's bulgur wheat. The Incas considered quinoa sacred, but I just consider it tasty. Its texture is very like rice, and slightly nutty in flavor. I decided to make this version of tabouli, substituting cilantro and lime for the lemon and parsley. I'll put in a wee plug for Amy B's co-op here, cause that's where I got the mint and cilantro from. I buy quinoa at Sweet Bay here in Lakeland, and I think it's also carried at Albertson's, for those of you who would find it more convenient.

Ingredients

2 cups water

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup quinoa

1/3 cup olive oil

3 medium ripe tomato

2 tablespoons fresh mint

1 1/2 cups parsley, coarsely chopped

1 cup scallion, chopped

salt, to taste

Directions

1. Place quinoa in a colander and rinse several times rubbing the grains together to remove the bitter outer layer. (I don't do this, btw. The brand I buy is pre-washed)
   

2. Place water and quinoa into a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed.

3. While the quinoa is cooking, finely chop the tomatoes, parsley, and scallions. Add lemon juice, olive oil and fresh mint to the tomato mixture.

4. Stir in cooked quinoa and salt. Mix well.

5. Let tabouli sit in the refrigerator for a day to blend flavors.

6. Tabouli is traditionally served at room temperature so remove from fridge 30 to 60 minutes before serving.

credit: http://www.recipezaar.com/140618

U Pick Blueberries

Shady Oak Farm
3320 Shady Oak Drive East

863-512-1547

open April and May

Corn Cob Curry

Hello -- John and I tried an excellent corn recipe last week that I
thought I'd pass along. It comes from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook,
published by Hermes House in the UK and purchased from Marshalls for only
$6.99. We've found recipes for most of the FPP vegetables in this book.

serves 4

4 whole corn cobs
vegetable oil, for frying
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 inch piece fresh root ginger, crushed
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp five-spice powder (I think we omitted this)
chili powder or cayenne, to taste
6-8 curry leaves (can substitute bay leaves)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup plain yogurt (we were out, so we used a combination of goat cheese
and heavy cream)

Cut each corn cob in half, using sharp knife to limit damage to kernels.

Heat oil in large frying pan and fry corn pieces until golden brown on all
sides. Remove cobs and set aside.

Remove excess oil, leaving 2 tbsp in pan. Grind the onion, garlic, and
ginger to a paste using a mortar & pestle or food processor. Remove and
mix in all the spices, curry leaves, and sugar.

Reheat the oil gently and fry the onion mixture until all the spices have
blended well and the oil separates from the paste.

Cool the mixture and gradually fold in the yogurt. Mix well until you
have a smooth sauce. Add the corn and mix so that the pieces are evenly
covered with the sauce. Reheat for 10 minutes or until corn is tender.
Serve hot.

You can even throw in some of this week's serranos to add spice and color
- just slice them lengthwise (while keeping the stem end intact) and
remove some of the seeds with a knife. Add them to the "fry the onion
mixture" step, or even earlier if you prefer them soft.

-- Ashlee French