SALAD RECIPES BY BUMBLEBEEBOOGIE

Majida's Tabbouleh salad
MAJIDA'S TABBOULEH SALAD
By Bumble Bee Boogie

I met a young Iranian woman, Majida who came to the U.S. to escaped a forced arranged marriage in her native land. She taught me to make the following wonderful and refreshing Tabbouleh.

1 cup fine bulgur (cracked wheat)
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 cups chopped green onions, including green parts
3 cups chopped curly parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the wheat; drain, then cover with boiling water in a bowl; let stand for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly and squeeze dry in a clean towel. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, green onions, parsley. And mint. Beat together the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; gently fold into the tomato mixture. Add the drained wheat until well blended. Best served after allowing the salad to marinate for an hour or two, or over night in the refrigerator.

CITRUS CHICKEN WHEAT BERRY SALAD
CITRUS CHICKEN WHEAT BERRY SALAD
By BumbleBeeBoogie

3/4 cup uncooked wheat berries
1-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 fresh chicken breasts
1 orange and zest from its rind
1/2 grapefruit and zest from its rind
1/2 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
baby spinach leaves, rinsed

Rinse the wheat berries in a colander. Place the wheat berries in a medium pot with 1-1/2 cups salted water. Bring the water to a boil; reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes; add the chicken breast and cook 15 minutes longer until the wheat berries are tender and swollen and the chicken is done. Remove the chicken breast and cool; chop into small pieces. Transfer the wheat berries and chicken pieces to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

Wash the orange and grapefruit. Using a zester, remove enough rind from both to equal 1 tablespoon each of minced orange and grapefruit zest. Remove any remaining rind and white pith from the orange and grapefruit and discard. Section the fruits; cut the sections into small pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, ginger, and zests.

To the bowl of wheat berries and chicken, add the cranberries, celery, onions, orange and grapefruit pieces; add the dressing and toss to coat all with the dressing. Serve on a bed of spinach leaves. Serves 6.

ALTERNATE RECIPE: WHITE AND WILD RICE CITRUS CHICKEN SALAD

Substitute 2 cups of a combination of white long grain rice and wild rice for the wheat berries. Cook according to the rice package directions, adding the chicken breast for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Cool and proceed as directed above.

GROUND CRANBERRY-ORANGE-WALNUT GELATIN SALAD by BBB
GROUND CRANBERRY-ORANGE-WALNUT GELATIN SALAD
By BumbleBeeBoogie

3 cups raw fresh cranberries (to equal 2 cups ground berries)
1 large whole orange
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 boxes Jell-O (total 6 ounces: 1 orange flavor; 1 cranberry or cherry flavor)
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
salad greens for garnish

The preferred method of cranberry preparation is to put the berries through a cast iron food grinder set for a medium size grind. If you don't have a food grinder, you may use a food processor, taking care not to chop the cranberries so fine they become pureed. Fresh cranberries are preferred, but you can freeze fresh raw cranberries for use throughout the year. Grind them frozen, not thawed.

Wash the outside of the orange. Using a zester tool, remove only the orange part of the peel, taking care not to include any of the white pith to avoid bitterness. If you don't have a zester, use a vegetable peeler and remove thin strips of the peel and julienne the strips (cut into very thin strips). Finely chop the orange peel zest and add it to the cranberry-orange mixture. Remove any remaining white pith from the peeled orange; separate the orange segments, and put them through the food grinder (or use a food processor). Strain the ground orange pulp from the juice and reserve the juice in a measuring cup.

Prepare the Jell-O by following the package directions for molded salads. Add the boiling water (less the amount of orange juice in the measuring cup) to the Jell-O powder in a bowl; stir until dissolved. Add the reserved orange juice. Refrigerate the Jell-O until it is partially set while you prepare the other salad ingredients.

Combine the 2 cups of ground cranberries and the ground orange and zest in a large bowl. Add the sugar and stir to mix.

Wash the celery ribs and finely chop them. Measure out 1 cup of chopped celery and 1 cup of chopped walnuts into a small bowl and refrigerate.

When the Jell-O is partially set, stir in the cranberry-orange-celery-nuts mixture. You may chill the salad in the bowl or transfer it to a salad mold. The salad is ready to serve when the Jell-O is firm. Making the salad the day before serving will insure its success.

The salad can easily be removed from the mold by dipping the bottom of the mold in hot water for a few seconds, not too long to avoid melting the Jell-O. Place a serving plate on top of the mold and turn it over; then remove the mold.

Surround the salad with Watercress or your choice of chopped or torn salad greens that have been very lightly dressed with a sweet citrus vinaigrette of your choice.

FINGERLING POTATO, FIG & TARRAGON SALAD by BBB
FINGERLING POTATO, FIG, AND TARRAGON SALAD
Adapted by Bumble Bee Boogie from "In the Hands of a Chef"

In the San Francisco Bay Area, there are several wonderful greengrocers with an outstanding variety of produce of the highest quality. Among my favorites are several varieties of fingerling potatoes ranging from the purple to gold and white. They have a firm, waxy texture that holds up well in this salad. Another thing I like about this salad is the ingredients can be made the day before serving without loss of texture, and combined with the vinaigrette when ready to serve. An advantage when you are having a dinner party or taking the salad on a picnic or to a friend's home.

I like to explore the wide variety of figs and olives from around the world that are also available. My two favorite places to shop in Berkeley are the Monterey Market and the Berkeley Bowl Market. They are greengrocer heaven!

This recipe makes 4 servings. This salad is great served with grilled fish or chicken, accompanied by steamed Jasmine rice, and good sourdough bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil.

1-1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise in half (if fingerlings are not available, substitute small new potatoes)
6 bay leaves, fresh
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 celery stalk, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
*12 dried figs (preferably Turkish), stemmed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
¼ cup pitted green olives, chopped (If you have an olive bar in your favorite
gourmet shop, experiment with different olives from around the world.)

Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water. Add the whole bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the potatoes to cool in the water. Drain and discard the bay leaves. If you are making the salad ahead of serving, transfer the potatoes to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad.

Prepare the remaining ingredients (except those for the mustard, vinegar and oil vinaigrette) in a covered bowl and refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad).

In a small bowl, whisk the mustard and red wine vinegar together to form an emulsion. Continue whisking while slowly adding the olive oil in a then, steady stream. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. You may also use your electric food processor to make the vinaigrette. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to assemble the salad.

Just before serving, combine the potatoes (at room temperature), celery, figs, red onion, parsley, tarragon, and olives in a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to thoroughly coat. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

*NOTE: If fresh figs are in season, you may want to use them instead of dried figs. I like the flavor and texture of the fresh figs even more than the dried.

Sweet & Sour Cabbage & Bacon Salad
SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE AND BACON SALAD
By Bumble Bee Boogie

1 large head of Napa Cabbage, finely shredded
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 strips bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled (pepper-coated bacon preferred)

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, pepper, onion and pineapple. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt until smooth.

Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the cabbage, stirring to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Prepare the bacon just before serving; sprinkle the bacon over the top of the salad and stir to combine.

Serves 6.