Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Here's another great picnic dish that takes just minutes to prepare. Bulghur wheat is usually sold parboiled and dried, so it does not need to be cooked before eating, though it does take a little bit of planning since you have to soak it overnight. Place bulghur wheat in a large bowl, add 1 T dried thyme or any other herb you have on hand. Fill the bowl with cool water so that the wheat is submerged by at least 2" of water. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, drain the bulghur wheat, add crumbled feta cheese, diced Persian cucumbers and diced tomatoes. Add 1/4 C fresh, rough chopped parsley and 1/4 C fresh, rough chopped mint. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and juice from half a lemon. Toss with olive oil and serve cold.

I caramelized minced shallots in butter and honey, then added them to a rice vinegar dressing. I dressed bulghur wheat, fresh diced tomatoes, sliced Persian cucumbers with this dressing and served it over mixed salad greens from my CSA box. If you know nothing else about vinaigrettes, remember this: the magic ratio of oil to vinegar is 3 to 1. As long as you know that, you won't need to consult a vinaigrette recipe ever again. Just remember three parts oil to one part vinegar and you'll be all right. If you get them backwards and do three parts vinegar to one part oil, your puckered mouth will ensure you don't make that mistake a second time!  So, I did 3 parts olive oil, 1 part rice vinegar, 2 T caramelized shallots, 1 t ginger syrup.  I put that all into a mason jar and shook, shook, shook, and shook some more to make a temporary emulsion.