Tender fassolia aa’rida is a delicacy that needs short cooking over a low fire, and gives plump, pearl white, melting beans, that are best served warm with a drizzle of lemon and olive oil . . . they are not called butter beans for nothing!
For the record, I like my tabouleh lemony, with a note of hot green chile pepper, transforming each mouthful into a fresh hit of flavor on a hot summer day.
Baa’leh (purslane) is a secret herb of Lebanese cuisine. Its “meaty” leaves, “iron-y” taste, and dark green color make it very special.
Armenian cuisine is sophisticated and has a taste of its own. Itch is basically the Armenian version of a tabouleh. Itch is mainly fine-ground bulgur soaked in a tomato-based sauce.
Fattoush comes from Arabic fatta, meaning “break,” from breaking the grilled Arabic bread (pita) over the fattoush. If you’ve ever heard of the Montagues and the Capulets, it is the same as with fattoush and tabouleh! There is a constant dilemma of choosing between one and the other for a mezze . . . or maybe just go for both.
Onions are rich in chromium and in flavonoids, namely quercitin, which may help in halting the growth of tumors.
Garlic has been shown to have several benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improving blood circulation.
Thyme contains thymol, a compound extensively used in medicine and known to be efficient in treating intestinal worms and reducing spasm.
Chicory was first mentioned on a papyrus 4000 years before Christ. This plant has been shown to improve intestinal microflora and to lower triglycerides in the blood.
Lycopene, which is abundantly found in green leafy vegetables such as the plants in this recipe and in tomatoes, is a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color.