Whenever we have a picnic, I make tabouli salad. Each time it turns out a little different (depending on what ingredients I throw in). This particular recipe (featuring fresh bell peppers) is one of my favorites and probably the one I make the most often.

The red and yellow organic bell peppers that I buy at our nearest farmer’s market have just been so good lately. I haven’t even wanted to cook them. They have their own sweet flavor and can easily be eaten raw.

I’m also on a parsley kick and find that a tabouli dominated by it (rather than by grains) is much better. I used to put in a lot of bulgur and only a little parsley – lately, I’ve been doing the exact opposite, and only putting in a small portion of grains. That’s the great thing about making tabouli – you choose the ratios. In this version, the dominant tastes are parsley, bell peppers and lemon – lots of lemon.

I’ve also been playing with the type of grain I put in. My favorite so far is a combination of both bulgur and quinoa. Straight bulgur, I’ve decided, makes the salad too heavy for summer picnics.

These ingredients are just to give you a rough idea. I don’t actually follow them, but let the salad tell me what it wants!

Shopping List

Bulgar and quinoa (about 1/2 cup uncooked)*

Parsley (2 bunches, chopped)

1 bell pepper (red or yellow, diced)

1 cup chickpeas (cooked)

1/2 red onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 cup feta cheese*

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Recipe:

1. Cook the grains and set aside to cool.

2. Prepare the other ingredients and mix them together in a big bowl.

3. Add the grains.

4. Sprinkle with olive oil (copious), a dash of vinegar, lots of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Just keep tasting and adding until you’re satisfied.

5. Pack in a box and refrigerate. It’s ready for a picnic.

*For a gluten-free vegan version, use only quinoa and leave off the feta.