Springtime weather? Yes, no, maybe

It’s the time of year when the weather changes dramatically, sometimes from one day to the next, and even several times in one day. It makes meal planning a bit tricky, because we aren’t sure if we should dip into our fall and winter recipes, such as soups and stews, or our fresh, light springtime recipes, such as salads or other light fare.

As an example, the day before I wrote this, we had all the windows and sliding-glass door open and it was quite warm. Now it’s raining and we have the wood stove fired up. Each day that goes by, though, brings us closer to stable, warm weather, so I am going to poke around through my salad recipes. Specifically, salads that feature bulgur wheat and couscous.

Bulgur is a form of cracked wheat, but is parboiled and dried. Couscous is a pasta-like wheat product. They are very versatile ingredients that taste delicious. If you haven’t tried them yet, please do consider adding them to your menu sometime soon. Look for them in the health-food section of most supermarkets. Tabbouleh salad

(Sometimes spelled tabouleh), I have been using this recipe for decades. I prefer a softer texture, so I cover the bulgur wheat with boiling water and let stand 1 hour...