Chard and Quinoa Salad

A week ago, I decided I'd like to make some Tebbouleh. We picked up a bunch of mint and flat leaf parsley from the grocery store, and my plan was to make enough salad to last me for the week as a side for dinner or as a snack during the day. Did that happen? No. It took me exactly eight days from when I purchased the herbs to actually have the time to make the salad. By that point, I had my greens from the farm in the fridge and I knew it was time to dive in to the stash. Luckily, the herbs were still fresh! My inspiration for this salad is a Tebbouleh recipe by Ina Garten that I found on Food Network.com. Instead of the traditional bulghur, I used quinoa. The addition of chard and carrots punched up the dish in color, crunch, and nutrition! The mint and parsley provide a refreshing flavor, and the tartness of the lemon is subtle and delicious. I recommend letting this dish sit for a day to allow the flavors to meld, but it won't be the end of the world if you eat it right away.



The next time I make this salad, I hope that the mint, parsley and other vegetables will come from either my own garden or the farm, and not the grocery store!

Chard and Quinoa Salad

You'll Need:

• 2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups of chopped chard leaves, minus the stems
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 handful of chives, chopped
• fresh ground black pepper

In medium saucepan, bring water and quinoa to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa absorbs all liquid. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir to combine and cover bowl. While preparing the rest of the ingredients, let the quinoa cool and absorb the flavors. Once the quinoa is at room temperature, add the remainder of the ingredients and combine. Season with pepper.

If possible, refrigerate over night.

And don't forget to put those chard stems to good use!