FREEKEH, AVOCADO, CHIVES

Chewy, nutty grains. The crunch of cucumber. • Freekeh is whole roasted wheat. It can take anything from fifteen to twenty-five minutes to reach the point where it is nutty and enjoyably chewy. I find it best to salt it after cooking rather than adding salt to the cooking water, which seems, sometimes, to toughen it. • All manner of grains can be substituted for the freekeh, such as barley or rye, but the cooking times will vary according to which grain you choose. Whole grains such as pot barley will take longer to cook than pearl barley. • Use this salad as a base for adding other ingredients, such as chopped tomatoes, mint, spring onions. You can add feta or grated ricotta salata, the aged, salted sheep’s cheese, if you wish. I sometimes add lemon juice to the warm dressing.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Put a pan of water on to boil. Rinse the freekeh in cold water, then add to the boiling water and leave to cook for fifteen to twenty-five minutes till tender but slightly chewy. Drain and set aside.

Step 2

Peel the cucumber, halve lengthways and discard the seeds, then cut the flesh into small dice. Halve, stone and peel the avocado, then cut into small cubes.

Step 3

Warm the olive oil in a shallow pan, add the ras el hanout and let it warm through (it is already roasted, so a minute or two over heat is long enough). Add the cooked and drained freekeh and the rinsed chickpeas, together with a little salt. When the chickpeas are hot, stir in the cucumber, chives and avocado. Stir gently; you don’t want to crush the avocado. Trickle over the balsamic vinegar and a squeeze of lemon, to taste, and serve.