At CRP, the vast majority of our staff are local, and share a connection with our community members that includes custom, tradition, history, and most importantly. . . food!
Recently we caught up with Ghaith, a key member of our Downtown Center team. He was kind enough to share with us the recipe he uses to make tabouleh- a Middle-Eastern vegetarian salad that is often served at breakfast together with other world famous Arabic dishes, such as hummus and baba ganoush.
What follows is a message from him to you, our kind donors, friends, and supporters. We hope you’ll enjoy Ghaith’s story and try out his delicious tabouleh recipe for yourself.
“Hello! My name is Ghaith, and I love cooking. Cooking for me is is about more than just the food–it’s about the experience of preparing the meal, the sensations, smells, and individual flavors of the ingredients, the anxiety of worrying whether the meal will turn out alright, and the joy in sharing what you’ve made with others whom you cherish.
Cooking is also a way for me to connect to not only my own heritage and culture, but a way to experience the heritage and culture of distant places and times. Whether it’s this simple tabouleh recipe, a recipe for cookies from 17th century England, or a modern lasagne recipe, cooking for me is a way to learn more about the world in which I live and the worlds in which other people have lived.
Ultimately, I believe that however far we might be divided by time and space, all of humanity could sit at one table and be united by the appreciation of good food, good times, and good company.”
So, here it is:
Tabouleh
1 bunch of parsley
¼ bunch of mint
Four sticks of green onions
Two large tomatoes
Juice of two lemons
Three tablespoons of fine bulgur
¼ cup of olive oil
Salt, to taste
Leaves of red cabbage or lettuce to serve
Wash the bulgur several times, strain it, then mix with lemon juice. Let it soak for a quarter of an hour. After washing the vegetables, chop them finely then place them in a deep bowl and mix with the bulgur. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the olive oil, mixing all the while. Serve on a bed of lettuce or red cabbage.
May you and those you love gather in appreciation of this simple recipe in the best of times!
Miranda Finlay
Donor Relations & Communications Officer