WRITTEN ON November 4th, 2009 BY Meredith AND STORED IN Cheese, Fruit, Grains, Middle Eastern, Nuts, Salads, Side Dish
My childhood friend Laura always had the best lunches. The lunch table was generally divided into sections. Those of us who ate and those of us who didn’t (I went to an all girls school. The not eating thing was somewhat of a problem in our later years). But there was one thing we could all agree on when it came to the subject of lunch. Laura’s were the best. So if you were an eater, you wanted to be next to her, and if you were a non-eater, you wanted to be as far away as possible.
Her mom packed them with great care (so did mine, but for some reason hers always seemed more exotic). The roast beef wasn’t just deli roast beef. It was homemade brisket. The tuna had fresh dill and pickles. And during the late fall and early winter, she often got fresh pomegranates, rather than a somewhat bruised banana. Now, keep in mind, this was in the early ’90’s…long before Pom was the rage and pomegranate extract was showing up in everything from cocktails to facial creams. Uh, did I mention exotic?
Ever since then, I’ve been awed by the fruit’s beauty and bite. The color is amazing. The taste? A burst of tart, a bit of sweet, and incredibly refreshing. They also happen to be a festive and gorgeous part of any holiday table. Flecked with bright red pomegranate jewels, this recipe is good with anything from pita to pork chops. It would be a fun and different side dish to feature at a Christmas buffet (note the color scheme) next to a glazed ham, or even better, a leg of lamb.
So, Laura (or should I say, Laura’s mom), eat your heart out (and don’t think I’ve forgotten about that tuna salad).
A very pom-ising salad
Pomegranate Feta Tabouli (serves 4)
1 cup bulgar wheat
1 pomegranate
3 large handfuls flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup feta
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
½ red onion, diced
Juice of ½ a lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small pot, boil 1 cup salted water. Place bulgar in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over top, cover, let stand for 30 minutes. In the meantime, seed the pomegranate (click here to see how. Definitely do this in a bowl of water. The white, pithy bits will float to the top and you can skim them off, plus, its neater on your counters). Once bulgar is ready, toss together all ingredients. Allow flavors to meld, about 1 hour, before serving.
Red, Green and White all over
