Recipe: Tomato and Herb Couscous Salad

Serves 4.

Note: This is a flexible salad, meant to utilize the fresh herbs you may have in your garden. Parsley, basil, cilantro, mint, or any other tender herb you like to eat raw, will shine here. Because good tomatoes come in all sizes, I chopped up what I had handy to make 3 cups, but that is flexible, too. If you want to make a meal of it, add a can of drained and rinsed beans, half a cup of almonds or walnuts, or 4 ounces or so of crumbled feta or shredded hard cheese. Find couscous with other grains at the grocery or co-op. From Robin Asbell.

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 c. finely chopped onion

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 3/4 c. couscous

• 1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

Add 3/4 cup water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. When boiling, stir in the couscous and take off the heat. Cover tightly and let stand for 7 minutes; the water will all be absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

When the couscous is cooled, add the tomatoes, parsley, basil and lemon juice; grind fresh pepper over it all, and toss gently.

Nutrition information per serving:

CaloriesXXFatXX gSodiumXXX mg

CarbohydratesXXX gSaturated fatXX gAdded sugarsXX g