WITH OR AGAINST THE GRAIN?

With or Against the Grain?

            Couscous, grits, quinoa, bulgur, faro…No, I have not joined a New Age dance community with the coming of summer. Rather I’m exploring the culinary possibilities of these ancient grains that recently have come again to the attention of foodies everywhere. Suddenly in chic restaurants you may find your lamb chop on a bed of quinoa where previously it may have been lentils, a shrimp ragout served on a bed of couscous, where previously it might have been polenta. Bulgur wheat is cropping up in a variety of Mediterranean dishes. The good news for summer is that most of these grains require minimal preparation time.

            Couscous is a long time Mediterranean staple from western North Africa to southern France.  It is actually derived from crushed unground semolina wheat, just like other pasta, but undergoes further cycles of moistening and steaming before it ends up on our plates. Fortunately for the modern cook, Moroccan or fine couscous, roughly the size 3 times cornmeal, requires very little effort. You simply bring to boil 1 cup of water or broth with 1 Tblsp. butter, salt to taste, stir in 1 cup of couscous, cover, remove from heat, allow to sit for 5 minutes, fluff lightly with a fork and serve. Couscous like grits has little flavor itself, the success of your meal is going to depend on the topping or other flavoring agents you add, such as parmesan, dried currants and pine nuts or even chopped sun dried tomatoes.

                                    Couscous with soppressata

Prepare couscous as described above. For topping: sauté 6 oz of sliced mushrooms with a  chopped onion for 15 minutes, stir in 1 Tblsp. lemon juice and chopped soppressata or other spicy sausage. ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes and finely chopped 5 sundried tomatoes.  When heated through,  sprinkle with 1-2 Tblsp. flour, slowly stir in 1 cup of beef broth and cook with stirring until thickened. Serve ragout on top of couscous.

            Hearty summer salads are welcome both for lunch and dinner and find a new appetizing appeal with grains instead of potatoes or pasta. One of my favorites for years has been Tabbouli salad, which can be prepared ahead and even keeps for a day or two when refrigerated.  Bulgur wheat is a natural whole grain cereal that is cracked and partially processed to shorten cooking time. A staple of Mediterranean diet, it is now estimated by archaeologists that early Neolithic Bulgarians may have used this cooking method as early as 5730 BC, as found in grain excavations. Bronze age fragmented cereal and grain has been found also in Northern Greece

                                    Tabbouli salad

            Cover 1 cup of bulgur wheat with 2 cups of boiling water and allow to sit for 20 minutes, drain thoroughly and place in a large bowl. Add:1 cup finely chopped parsley, 4 thinly sliced scallions with green tops, ¼ cup finely chopped mint, 2 chopped tomatoes and ½ cup finely diced seedless cucumber (optional).  Prepare vinaigrette by mixing ½ cup lemon juice, 1Tblsp. rice vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, dash of Tabasco and whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil. Toss vinaigrette with the bulgur and vegetable mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve topped with halved cherry tomatoes.

            Fortunately there are some grains that are naturally gluten free and can be enjoyed by those individuals who need to avoid gluten in their diets. Quinoa has become recently widely available. As a pseudo-cereal it is gluten-free and unlike grass type cereals it contains the essential amino acid lysine, as well as being high in protein content.. Like potatoes it originated in the Peruvian Andes. Quinoa cooks in 20 minutes and can be served warm as a side dish, with enhancements such as pine nuts, spinach or even pancetta. Because of its texture it also makes wonderful hearty salads, especially when combined with black beans or garbanzos.

                                    Quinoa and garbanzo/black bean salad

            Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups boiling salted water, drain and cool. Drain and rinse one 14 oz can of garbanzos or black beans and combine with the cooked quinoa. Stir in: 1  diced red pepper, 4 thinly sliced scallions and ¾ cups halved grape tomatoes. Toss all with vinaigrette: 3 Tblsp. lime juice, 3 Tblsp. grape seed or olive oil, 2 oz. chopped dill pickle or pickled onion (optional) , salt and pepper. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Exploring these cyclical discoveries by new/old food trends can be a fascinating learning experience and a delicious way to welcome summer!

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)