Bulgar Wheat, Corn and Zucchini Salad

I am just loving the beautiful corn on the cob in the shops at the moment. It is so good to eat, so tasty and sweet. It reminds me of my childhood going through very tall rows of corn growing in our vegetable patch, always searching for the biggest cob and picking it straight off the stalks. We ate it steaming hot with piles of butter, salt and pepper. Even now (although I don't - that would be greedy!) I could easily eat two large cobs in one sitting.
One time, during one of those corn picking expeditions, I came out in a terrible red itchy rash all over my bare arms and legs. I remember (at the time) feeling quite worried I might be seriously ill but I am pleased to say I recovered fairly quickly from the generous dusting of pollen. To this day I am still very allergic to many forms of vegetable, grass and tree pollens.
This Ruth Pretty recipe is a good one to use during the corn season (when or if you ever get sick of eating buttery corn off the cob). Actually I made it for the first time last year, and it ended up being one of the great platters for my birthday (and our wedding) party celebrations.
If you are like me and always in a bit of a hurry, it is fine to use a kitchen whizz to chop up the onions and herbs together. You may prefer to do it the old fashioned way so the onion is a little chunkier. I couldn't get fresh dill locally so used a little dried dill instead which was fine.
I love the crunch and the colour of this salad. And not only does it provide another way to eat fresh corn, it's a great recipe to use up all those excess zucchinis growing in your garden too. 
It's delicious served on its own or as a side dish at at BBQ or summer lunch.
Last week I helped delivered some meals to a Bellyful (vegetarian) client. It was perfect timing to arrive on her doorstep with a portion of this salad, as she was wondering what to have for her lunch!

Bulgar Wheat, Corn and Zucchini Salad

Ruth Pretty – SST Jan 2012

Serves 5-6 or 10-12 as part of an array of salads

Ingredients

¾ c bulgar wheat

4 cups of boiling water

2 corn cobs, cooked and cooled

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 zucchini, finely sliced (use a vegetable peeler)

½ red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped dill

½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

1tsp flaky salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place the bulgar wheat into a large bowl and add boiling water. Stir, cover and set aside to soak for 45 minutes.

Drain through a large sieve, discarding the water.

Transfer the bulgar wheat to a clean tea towel, wring to extract the excess water and tip into a large bowl. ( I forgot to do this step but draining it in the sieve for about 30 mins was ok).

Slice kernels from the corn cobs and add to the bulgar wheat. Add the chilli, zucchini, onion, dill and parsley.

Pour the lemon juice and oil into a jug with S & P. Whisk well.

Pour dressing over the bulgar wheat mix, toss ingredients together.

Cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or overnight for the flavours to develop or keep for up to 3 days.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

What to do with all those zucchinis

I am very jealous of gardeners who can grow zucchinis, it is one vegetable I have been unable (or lack the talent for) to grow in my small garden here in the Capital. It could be the lack of space or the the soil is not right but they do not thrive in my garden in spite of buckets of compost. I can hear you say, 'anybody who has a brain can grow them....!!' but I have tried now for many summers (although not this one which I suspect was a mistake given the fabulous sunshine hours and lack of raging winds here in the Capital). However, this gardening glitch does not stop me enjoying them when in season.
Some weeks ago my B asked for some zucchini recipes, she had so many she had run out of ideas on how to use them. GGrrrrrr I say, I'm jealous....!  but my usual reply would be cheese and grated zucchini muffins, zucchini patties, ratatouille and believe it or not chocolate zucchini cake. However last year I found a wonderful recipe, Zucchini Loaf, that I've made several times now and it is absolutely fabulous. I found this wee gem on the Weight Watchers website and I have served it as a vegetarian main and/or lunch dish on numerous occasions. I am sure once you have tried it, you will be making time and time again. It is equally nice served warm or at room temperature with a tossed salad or (as you can see) with a delicious baked stuffed beef steak tomato. Because the vegetable is 'hidden' you may even entice the little ones to eat a slice of this loaf. Of course if you feel inclined (as I have) you could use the full fat variety of ricotta and feta cheese, it is even more delicious.
Zucchini Loaf - Weight Watchers 2012
Ingredients
3 small zucchini (400g) trimmed and coarsely grated
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c plain flour
1/4 c fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
5 small eggs - separated
2 medium whites
200g low-fat ricotta cheese
120g reduced fat feta cheese - crumbled
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
 Method
Preheat oven to 190 C. Spray a 25cmx15cm loaf tin with oil. Line base and sides with baking paper.
Heat a large non-stick fry pan over a high heat and spray with oil.
Add zucchini and onions and cook, stirring for about 2-3 minutes.






Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add nutmeg, flour and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently fold through ricotta, feta and Parmesan.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold through egg yolks to combine.
Combine egg mixture and zucchini mixture together using a large metal spoon. Transfer mixture to the prepared tin and bake in oven for about 50-55 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before removing and slicing to serve. 

served as a main or lunch dish

Best eaten on the day but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days and gently reheated  or preferably served at room temperature.