Let ’s be honest — no one is short on zucchini this time a year . Whether a neighbor gifts you bags of this summertime squelch or you ’re the farmer doing the gifting , it can be turned into a side bag for a Mediterranean feast .
“ My neighbor stopped by and hold me some devoid courgette , ” say Brett Olson , explaining the intake for his Chickpea Couscous salad . “ I wanted to create a side dishful that had a Mediterranean flavor to accompany our beef cattle shish - kabobs with yoghurt - cucumber sauce and pitas . ”
Olsen is co - founder of Renewing the Countryside , one of the organizers for the premierFEAST ! Festival and Tradeshowheld in Rochester , Minn. , Nov. 2 - 3 , 2014 . FEAST ! , which brings together organizations , patronage and individuals trust to growing a sustainable intellectual nourishment scheme , is the largest event of its kind in the Upper Midwest , feature more than a hundred local , artisan specialty - intellectual nourishment producers and craft - food maker . Olson tends to be a walk food cyclopedia when you get him talking .
“ For the vegetables in the salad , they involve to be little , ” he say . “ I mixed them in well with the couscous , a pasta composed of small granule of durum wheat dough . I used my Benriner Japanese Mandoline with a medium clipping blade for just the correct size zucchini strips . ”
What makes this formula stand out is the toasted Prunus amygdalus and cumin seed used to harden the salad . Do n’t skip over this step ! drink the almonds , instead of using them in the buff , make for out a more articulate , nuttier flavour without significantly diminishing their nutritional benefit . Ditto for the cumin seeds . By toasting the addict and seeds on the range , you’re able to keep a stuffy eye on them than if you placed them on a pan in the oven .
Recipe: Chickpea Couscous Salad with Toasted Almonds and Cumin Seed
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
In average toilet , prepare couscous according to parcel directions . jell away in pipe bowl to cool .
In medium pot , prepare chickpea edible bean until soft . drainage and congeal apart in bowl to cool . ( If using canned bean plant , simply debilitate and rinsing . )
In sauté pan over medium heat , goner almonds with cumin seeds for 3 to 5 minute or until redolent , stirring regularly to keep burn . Once toasted , quickly transfer to bowl to cool off . ( leave them in the hot genus Pan will continue to cook them . )
In heavy bowl , unite all ingredients . thresh liberally well mixed . Garnish with a sprig of Origanum vulgare . Serve forthwith or refrigerate for later purpose .
