Lainie's Last Stand: Easter/Passover Salad or Main

Happy Spring! Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or just the arrival of warm weather and sunshine, this is one of my favorite times of year. I have a dish for you today that will work with any of the aforementioned celebrations. I love tabouli -- a Greek salad normally made with bulghur wheat. However, wheat is one of the five grains not permitted during Passover, so I'm going to make it with quinoa (KEEN-wah) instead. You should be able to find it in the bulk section of a natural food or large grocery store. Quinoa is unusual among grains, as it is a complete protein.

You're also going to need a couple of small or one medium-sized cucumber, a medium-to-large tomato (or a pint of cherry tomatoes, which I used). This time of year, the tomatoes are either going to come from a hot place, probably far away, or a hot house. Mine were from West Vista Farms in Watsonville, purchased at Star Market. Peel and dice the cucumbers and put them in a colander with some kosher salt and toss gently every 10-20 minutes to drain off some of the liquid, so your finished salad is not soupy.

You'll also need either a bunch of scallions, some spring garlic, or some sweet red or white onion, in fine dice -- about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on how much you like onions. Helpful hint: chop them, taste them, and let them sit for 10 minutes, then taste again - the exposure to the air helps them develop their flavor, so they're going to taste stronger after you've chopped them. For the dressing, you'll need one whole lemon and some good olive oil.

Finally, you'll need 1/2 cup of parsley leaves and thin stems (toss the thick ones), chopped very finely. I don't add mint, which is a traditional ingredient in tabouli, because I just don't like it.

Take 1 cup of quinoa and rinse it thoroughly. You need a mesh bowl or sieve for this, because it will go through the holes of a regular colander. You're rinsing off an outer layer that can be bitter. I cook my quinoa just like pasta, but without all the salt. Toss it into a big pot of boiling water; turn the water down to simmer and let it cook 20-25 minutes. It will start to look like little curlicues when it's finished, and will retain some of its crunchiness. It will nearly double in volume. Drain thoroughly and let cool, fluffing occasionally with a fork. When it's cool enough to handle, but still warm, put it in a bowl. Rinse the cucumbers and pat with paper towels. Toss them in with the chopped tomatoes (I halved my cherry tomatoes to make them bite-sized) and your allium family member of choice (the onion or garlic).

For the dressing, juice the lemon (thanks, Flora - as juicy as advertised!). You should have about 1/2 cup of juice. If not, juice another lemon! Traditional vinaigrettes are 2 parts oil to one part acid, but lemon juice isn't like vinegar, so I only whisked in 3/4 cup of olive oil. Add a teaspoon of salt and 4-5 grindings of fresh pepper. For something a little interesting, add a pinch of allspice. And I mean a pinch - it's strong stuff, but in a small quantity, it'll be that "hmmmmm" flavor in the background. I did not use all the dressing. . .I stir some in, taste, stir some in, taste. . .I hate overdressed salad. I'll save the rest for another dish.

Variations - you can add kalamata olives and feta cheese for a Greek feast. However, if you're taking this to a Jewish home for dinner, call first and ask if the cheese is okay with your host. Depending on what else they're serving, the cheese might not be a kosher choice.

Taste your salad and then step away from the salt. Put it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors marry and develop in that special alchemy found in combinations like this. If you're adding the olives or feta or both, you definitely want to re-taste before adding any salt.

This salad could be a main dish in a light lunch, or a great side to an Easter leg of lamb. Tomorrow I'll be cooking locally-made sausage with radicchio on the grill. In the meantime, I'll see you at the market!