Garden Grown Tabouli Salad

Last year I tried my hand at planting parsley from seed. I ended up with a ton of parsley plants which I put in pots in and outside of the house, as well as in one of my front gardens. I was delighted at the end of winter to see several parsley plants poking their heads up under the yard waste and snow. I now have more than a half dozen plants growing in my front garden and became very large by the end of April.

I finally went out and took the first harvest from the plants this week. The plants have yielded a large haul so far, and I realize I am going to have to find several uses for the parsley to both eat it fresh, and keep it over the winter.

I'll be freezing some. Parsley is easy to freeze, and doesn't need blanching in order to do so. It won't be crisp when you defrost it, however it's great for adding to soups or any other cooked dish. Hang parsley in a dark, dry area (or bake it at 100*F) to dry it out and keep it as a dried herb. I did this with my harvest last year, and my husband was amazed at the flavour our dried parsley had. No way we could go back to the store bought stuff yet. But it's early in the year and I'm craving fresh garden greens. I never thought I'd get some at the start of May! In addition to my parsley, I have quite a lot of mint growing in the same garden. It struck me that I could make a tabouli salad out of it!

Here is a general guide to making tabouli. I didn't measure a thing, but added ingredients to taste. It's fantastic to eat it by scooping it up into a lettuce leaf. Also tasty on a spoon!

Wheat Bulgar (traditionally little is used, I like to add extra)
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Mint (I use 2x as much parsley as mint)
Diced Tomatoes (I like to use cherry tomatoes)
Sliced Scallions or Onions
Olive oil
Lemon juice or juice of one fresh lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional)