Bulgur Wheat Salad with Pan-Seared Grapes and Walnuts

because WALNUTS.
and because MOLLIE KATZEN.
(also, because everyone likes free stuff, GIVEAWAY.)
Bulgur Wheat Salad with 

Pan-Seared Grapes & Walnuts.

you wanna try this. trust me.

The Moosewood Cookbook was one of the first vegetarian cookbooks I owned (thanks, mom!) and it remains in my collection to this very day, albeit a lot more food stained and dog eared. So, when I was offered the opportunity to join a walnuts.org virtual salad party and put my own stamp on one of Mollie Katzen's recipes (rice salad with walnuts & grapes) I leapt at it for three reasons.
1) WALNUTS. I will eagerly seize on any opportunity to cook with 'em.
2) FREE COOKBOOKS. One for me and one for you, dear reader. I will be giving away a copy of Mollie Katzen's newest cookbook, The Heart of the Plate. Leave a comment with your contact info below telling me why YOU deserve it to enter.
Earn a bonus entry by joining the slow club on twitter.
Contest closes on June 16, 2014. Hooray for free things!
And 3) MOLLIE KATZEN. This lady kind of changed my life.
Almost 20 years ago I cracked open The Moosewood Cookbook for the first time and learned that vegetarianism could be beautiful, contemplative and,
most importantly for a 14 year old, pretty damn easy.
I never looked back.

Now, time for a little confession. My initial enthusiasm was fueled by an admittedly misguided notion that she'll see my loving interpretation of her recipe and we'll become fast and inseparable friends. Meeting up in some gorgeous, rustic Berkeley kitchen we'll clink our glasses and wax poetic about vegetarianism, art and the soulfulness of seasonal produce with endless plates of
perfectly prepared salads and roasted vegetables before us.
Hours will melt away and all will be right with the world.

A girl can dream.

roasty, grapey goodness. scallions, too.

if you don't love walnuts you don't love life.

Bulgur Wheat Salad with 

Roasted Grapes & Walnuts.
Adapted from Mollie Katzen via Walnuts.org*

(serves 4-6)

2c medium traditional bulgur wheat, dry

1/3c + 2tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1/2tsp sea salt

1tsp finely minced garlic

1Tbsp agave nectar

1 large bunch of scallions, about 5-6, 

white and green parts thinly sliced

1/2c fresh mint leaves, minced

1lb (about 2c) very crisp seedless red grapes, halved

1c raw walnuts, chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste


*I have made some changes to the original recipe, substituting in what I had on hand for a few of the ingredients-- bulgur in place of brown basmati, mint in place of parsley and pan-searing the grapes and scallions instead of leaving them raw. The original recipe can be linked above.

Place bulgur in a medium saucepan and prepare according to package instructions. 

Once cooked, remove from heat, fluff with a fork and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet or similar long, shallow pan, spreading it thinly and allowing steam to escape.

While bulgur cools, combine the 1/3c olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic and agave 

and whisk until well combined. 

When bulgur has reached room temperature, transfer to a large serving bowl and add dressing, stirring until well coated. 

Heat a large sautee pan over medium high heat. 

Toss grapes and all but a handful of the sliced scallions with the
2tsp olive oil until well coated.
Transfer to heated sautee pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes

or until scallions look lightly browned and grape edges have caramelized slightly. 

 Transfer seared grapes and scallions into bulgur mixture.

Using the same sautee pan, lightly toast the chopped walnuts over medium heat, 

for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned.

Stir frequently and watch closely as they can easily burn. 

Transfer toasted walnuts to bulgur mixture.

Add minced mint leaves and reserved scallions.

Stir to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cover tightly and chill for at least an hour, allowing flavors to meld.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.