Tabbouleh

When I visited my friends Hani and Rula Asfour in Lebanon some twelve years ago I had a most wonderful dinner at the home of Rula's parents.

Rula's  father was in the hospital in Beirut.  I visited him there.

Rula's mother created a great feast, including the best Tabbouleh I have ever eaten.  It must have been made from fresh and local ingredients.

I was thinking about this the other day, so I purchased some ready made tabbouleh at my local supermarket.  You know the stuff  I mean -  all prepared and served in a plastic tub.

It was dreadful.

So I took myself to a local Specialty Market and bought a box of the ready assembled ingredients, which needed no more than hot water and olive oil to be brought to life.

I knew that would not be enough, so I added some finely chopped tomatoes (skinned and de-seeded), and a ton of finely chopped fresh mint.

It was "not bad", though I would be ashamed to serve it to Rula's Mum!

I ate some for lunch today, together with some thinly sliced and good quality tomatoes (with basil), and a couple of slices of cold chicken breast "carved" from a store bought rotisserie chicken.

The chicken was adorned with a couple of teaspoons of  * Branston Pickle.

It was a feast fit not for a King,  (that's too lowly), nay,   it was a feast fit for a free citizen.


*   If you have not tasted Branston Pickle your life has not been fulfilled.

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'Twas good, but Rula's mother's tabbouleh cannot be rivaled.


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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabbouleh


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branston_(brand)


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Cheese sandwich with Branston Pickle

Lebanese Tabbouleh (picture from the web)

 




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