How to make use of all this abundance in my gracious garden?
Mint, parsley, coriander, beans, zucchini, celery and cucumbers = tabbouleh
With a few creative extras…
Sprouted quinoa gives a delicious, crunchy, nutty flavour. Quinoa is known as a grain, but it is actually a seed. It is an energy-rich food that delivers heaps of fibre and protein but very little fat is easy to digest and gluten-free. It is a complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. It is rich in nutrients and a very good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous.
sprouting quinoa
ingredients
1 cup quinoa = 2 cup sprouted
pre-soak
1. Rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear, refill with water and allow to sit for 15 minutes and rinse again – this process helps in taking out the bitterness.
2. Soak the quinoa for 2 – 5 hours in a wide-mouthed glass jar (The quinoa will sprout quickly as it absorbs moisture really well).
preparation
3. Drain the water, rinse and place in a cool, dark area, placing a cheesecloth or screen over it, holding it in place with a rubber band. For very short tails, sprout overnight. Once sprouted, rinse well and allow to sit to drain the water away. If not using straight away, place sealed in the fridge.
lemon-zested chickpeas
ingredients
2 cups pre-soaked chickpeas (I always have a batch of pre-soak chickpeas in the freezer)
10 cups water
⅛ tsp baking soda
for the marinade
zest and juice of 2 lemons
¼ cup good-tasting olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
preparation
1. Place chickpeas in boiling water and allow to simmer for 2 hours or until the chickpeas are soft.
2. Drain off the water and place in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients – allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. Adjust the marinade to taste.
sprouted quinoa tabbouleh
Serves 6
ingredients
2 cups sprouted quinoa
1½ cups parsley, finely chopped, stalks and all
1½ cups coriander, finely chopped, stalks and all
⅓ cup finely chopped mint
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
10 small green beans
1 small-medium zucchini
2 cucumbers
for the dressing
4 Tbsp good quality olive oil
2 Tbsp honey
juice and zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup pinenuts, toasted
preparation
1. Halve the zucchini length-wise and lightly steam the beans and zucchini, so they still have a bit of a crunch. Watch the zucchini as it steams much quicker. I take them out a few minutes earlier than the beans. (If I use very small zucchinis from the garden, I leave them raw). Rinse under cold water and set aside to cool and dry, then finely chop.
2. Scoop out the seeds of the cucumber and finely chop the flesh – mix with the rest of the tabbouleh ingredients in a big salad bowl.
3. Mix the salad dressing together and toss through the tabbouleh. Sprinkle over the pinenuts. Allow to marinate for an hour for the flavours to come together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve with lemon-zested chickpeas.
Lately, I have been mixing the chickpeas in with the tabbouleh salad – just before serving. The moist softness of the chickpeas balances the dry crunchiness of the sprouted quinoa.
Goodness shared from Stacey
