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The ancient Mesopotamians grew wheat 10,000 years ago, and it’s likely they started making it into bulgur not long after. Grinding rock hard wheat berries into flour requires carefully made millstones and lots of energy to turn them. Then you’ve got to bake it into bread. But boil those same berries until they split, dry them in the sun, and use a rock to crack them into smaller pieces, and you’ve got quick-cooking, long-lasting bulgur.
Most of us first encountered bulgur in tabbouleh, the Middle Eastern salad that’s mostly parsley with tomatoes, onions, and bulgur dressed with good olive oil and lemon juice. Inspired by tabbouleh, this salad combines arugula and mint for more flavor, and instead of tomatoes get the subtle sweetness along with some acid and capsaicin heat from locally made Mama Lil’s goathorn peppers.
Recipe
½ cup bulgur wheat
¾ cup boiling water
½ teaspoon kosher-style sea salt
2 cups loosely packed arugula, coarsely chopped
½ cup loosely packed mint, coarsely chopped
¼ cup Mama Lil’s peppers, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, cut into quarters and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons wine or cider vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Put the bulgur in a heatproof bowl, add the salt, and pour in the boiling water. Let sit for about 30 minutes, then pour off any excess water.
Combine the bulgur with the rest of the ingredients. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve at room temperature.
