A Big Sorghum Tabouli Salad (gluten-free)

1½c sorghum

Rinse, then cook the sorghum according to the package directions.

1 recipe of Lemon-Olive Oil Dressing *

~ with ½t of ground oregano added

2 cans garbanzo beans

~ drained and rinsed

1c chopped celery

¾c sliced green onions

¾c drained-rinsed capers

¾c sliced kalamata olives

¾c chopped green peppers

¾c Lemon-Olive Oil Dressing

Make up a fresh batch of the dressing.  Put the drained, still warm sorghum, garbanzos and all the chopped vegetables and ingredients in that group in a large container, drizzling with the dressing.  Gently mix it all with a big wooden spoon.  Cover and refrigerated to marinate, at least a couple hours or as long as a day ahead.

Just before serving, prepare the following vegetables; according to directions below; then chop into a big bowl:

3 lg. tomatoes

3-4 med. pickling cucumbers

~ or one long English cucumber

2-3 hearts of Romaine lettuce

1 bunch of parsley

Wash 3 large tomatoes.  Drop them into rapidly boiling, water to cover them.  Gently stir until the skins split.  Immediately plunge them into icy water.  After about 10 minutes, cut them in quarters and slide the skins off.  Remove the wet seedy parts.  This will give you a meatier-drier tomato which will keep the salad fresh longer.  Additionally it removes the main source of lectin in tomatoes, found in the skin and seeds.  Lectin is responsible for much inflammation in the body.  Scrub, peel, seed and chop the cucumbers.  Lectin is also found, to a lesser degree, in cucumbers (and zucchini).

Slice-chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into a bowl with the well cleaned Romaine and parsley.  Mix this, then combine it with the marinated sorghum and vegetables.  Add more dressing if needed.  This makes a giant container (about 6 quarts) of tabouli.  It's August!  Happy Salad Days! . . . Lin

Quinoa-Garbanzo Tabouli

1c quinoa – rinsed well

1½c water

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1-2 lemons

1 clove of elephant garlic – minced

½c extra virgin olive oil

½t sea salt
fresh ground pepper

3 pickling cucumbers – rough peel and chop

1 bunch curly parsley – chopped fine

1 bunch green onions – sliced

1 can garbanzos – drained and rinsed

1 pint grape tomatoes – cut in quarters

Cook the quinoa in the water, simmering gently for 10-15 minutes. Take off heat and let stand while chopping and assembling remaining ingredients. Combine everything in a medium-large bowl. Chill several hours before serving. . .Lin