Millet Summer Salad

I don't know about you but keeping up with my daily routine since the school year started has been quite the challenge. I manage to do everything and more but long for the lazy days of Summer which we have left behind. The days of art, gardening experiments, hikes and picnics are crawling off the screen and being replaced by duty and structure.

In other news, I accidently deleted my entire "Delicious Blog" section on this site. Ooops! I have no idea how or why... As I went to my link airport to visit my favorite foodie sites, they were all gone. I have tried to re-establish it but it might take me a while.

In the meantime, I am hanging on to what's left of summer with some easy salad lunches. No wheat means no bulgur, no couscous... So sad, for someone use to making an array of wonderful summer salads with wheat as the grain. Surprisingly, it hasn't been a problem. On the contrary, it has allowed me to expend my pantry and my family's nutritional intake. All Summer, my salads have featured quinoa, brown rice, and finally millet. Millet is a great replacement for couscous or bulgur. It looks like couscous but cooks like brown rice, with a 1 to 2 millet to water ratio. Then, the rest is up to you and the produce you have on hand.

Millet was a staple of ancient Asian societies. It's as good a source of protein as wheat is and very rich in B vitamins as well. If that is not enough to convince you to try it, you should know that it tastes great.

Millet Summer Salad (serves 8)
Don't be intimidated by how big a batch this recipe makes, the leftovers are great for lunches and will stay good refrigerated for two days after you make it.
To cook the millet: Saute for 1 minute 2 cups of millet in a medium sized pot coated with olive oil (1 tsp). Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed by grain.



1 cup diced persian or english cucumber (small seedless)
1 cup diced colorful bell peppers
1 cup diced sweet tomatoes
4 cups cooked millet or other cooked grain, cooled
1 cup finely finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon sea salt



Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Another salad to make your Summer last a little longer:
Kohlrabi Broccoli Salad