Adventures in Food: Tabouli and Hummus

My tomato plants are all producing in profound abundance right now, so I'm always thinking of innovative ways to use them. I've already preserved chili sauce or tomato relish as its called in New Zealand. But since my last couple blogs were about canning, I thought I'd give that a break here.
I've made fresh salsa twice this week and a pasta with fresh tomato and bacon. But today I'm going to share my recipe for Tabouli along with my recipe for Hummus.

These are the heirloom tomatoes.

These are the sweet one hundreds, and the big boy's.

I also have several parsley plants and fresh lemons. So these ingredients were readily available.

Recipe:
1 cup uncooked Bulgar Wheat
1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup lemon juice, or about two lemons
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions or scallions in their entirety, sliced very thinly or minced
1 very large bunch of Parsley - use the stems and leaves, either chopped very finely or thrown into a food processor with the scallions.
12 - 24 Mint leaves
2 - 4 large tomatoes- diced by hand very finely
Salt and Pepper

Place the Bulgar wheat into a heavy glass bowl (this can be your serving bowl if it can take boiling water and also chilling temperatures). Pour about 1 1/2 cups of boiling water on the Bulgar wheat and let it sit there for about half an hour on its own. OR Boil the Bulgar wheat and 2 cups of water in a covered pot for 15 mins (exactly like you make white rice - so any method you like, works)

After it has absorbed all the water, mix, using a spoon, and stir in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, minced garlic and oil.

Cover with plastic or a lid and place in your refrigerator for an hour, or more if you like.

Then mix in the parsley, scallions, tomatoes and put back in the refrigerator for another hour, then serve chilled.

Serve this with Pita bread and Hummus. For a light refreshing vegetarian meal.

I also like to serve Hummus with sliced cucumber.

My Hummus Recipe:

1 can chic peas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp organic tahini butter (sesame butter)
1 lemon juiced
salt and pepper
1/4 c sun dried tomatoes in oil
1 tsp roasted garlic
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 filtered water
6 basil leaves

Place all in a blender and run on high until combined.
Can add prepared pesto if you don't have the fresh basil or sun dried tomatoes.
Drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with freshly pan roasted pine nuts.
Serve with raw vegetables or pita chips.