Herby

I use herbs a lot in my cooking and we have a herb bed in the garden, which is rather sad at this time of year, rosemary and a little hardy thyme, but that is about it. I have tried to keep herbs going indoors, but they are never very happy… I think the temperature in our kitchen is too cold, it’s a long thin kitchen that was once a garage and there is no heating apart from when we are cooking.

It will be wonderful when the weather gets a little warmer and we can start growing herbs again, because there is nothing nicer than herbs straight from the garden to the kitchen, maybe picked with sun still upon their leaves. I particularly like them in salads, a green salad with lots of herbs, a tomato salad with a few of the sweet herbs, potato salad and chives… But my favourite of all is tabbouleh…

Tabbouleh

• Couscous or bulgur wheat, or even millet… millet was very successful when I used it – make this up however you normally would, in the quantity that you would normally make, using water or stock, however you best like to do it.
• Herbs – add a mountain of chopped parsley, mint, and whatever other herbs you most like – I always add coriander because it is my favourite; so choose what you like, but remember you need bunches and bunches, you can never have too much!
• Finely chopped tomatoes with plenty of taste – add as many as looks right, or to your taste; leave out the juice or pips if you don’t like them but I always put them in for flavour and texture
• Finely chopped cucumber; I never peel my cucumber, I like that bitter hit
• Finely chopped spring onion – to your taste; if you really don’t like onion at all, miss it out, otherwise use a sweet white onion, or a red one, as much as you like. Even if you really love onion don’t add too much so it overpowers everything else, you can always have a tomato and onion salad on the side.
• Season with salt and pepper – if you have used stock it might already be quite salty so taste before you add too much. In my pepper mill I have other things apart from pepper berries, coriander seeds, fennel, cumin, fenugreek, dried chilli… You can just use pepper if you prefer!
• Plenty of good flavoured olive oil – really important to have an olive oil that tastes nice; I prefer Greek but choose what you like best. I always add plenty, but you’re a good cook, add however much you think is right for your taste!
• Add as you wish – lemon juice, a dash of balsamic vinegar, anything acid that pleases you… to be honest I usually forget!

So there you have it, a muddly personal recipe for a really yummy favourite salad… customise your own!