This is the salad I served up tonight for dinner and it is another delicious offering from The Scramble*. I realize that I’ve been on a salad recipe kick for quite some time here on the blog, but honestly, when I look at the dinner options on this fabulous meal-planning site the salad is what I want to share most, so I do!

Everyone in my family gobbled this up. It will be a go-to this summer without a doubt. I’m pretty sure I said this last week, but I’ll say it again: this salad would be the perfect side to bring to a summer soiree or a BBQ. Light, fresh, healthy, and simply delicious.

Hope your Wednesday was a good one!

XX, Megan

Ingredients for Main Dish

1 1/2 cups farro perlato (or use pearled barley), (4 cups cooked), or use quinoa for a gluten-free version
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 – 1 1/2 lemon, juice only, about 1/4 cup
1/2 – 1 tsp. minced garlic, (1-2 cloves), to taste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 cucumber, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
15 oz. canned or cooked chickpeas-garbonzo beans (drained and rinsed)

Serve with Fresh Fruit Salad

Cook the pearled barley according to the package directions and set it aside to let it cool. (Subbing pearled barley means you will have a slightly longer cook time, between 40-50 minutes. Plan accordingly.) Meanwhile, in a large measuring cup combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the barley, stir in the herbs and scallions. Transfer the salad to the refrigerator to cool while you chop the tomatoes and cucumbers. Stir them into the salad with the chickpeas. Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Just couldn’t resist sharing this stunning photo of our morning. Spring in the mountains is breathtaking!

1. Cook

Cook the barley or faro according to the package directions. Barely cook time here.

2. Mix

Juice the lemon, and mix the lemon, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper in a large measuring cup.

3. Chop

Chop the scallions, parsley, and mint. Add this to the barley. Chop the cucumber and tomato. Add this to the salad.

4. Refrigerate

Refrigerate the salad until chilled before serving.

5. Accompaniment

Blueberries or a fresh fruit salad are the perfect compliment to your tabbouleh salad!

6. EAT!

*The Scramble is a meal planning service to which you can subscribe here. For a fantastic price you will receive 5 weekly meals which means 5 recipes (main course plus a side dish), complete grocery list, the ability to tweak the number of people you are making for, and full nutrition facts. PLUS tips as to how best to PREP your meal beforehand, add a punch of FLAVOR, and how to SLOW COOK almost every recipe if you’re especially slammed that night. This wonderful service really does live up to it’s name. You can come home at 6 p.m. and be sitting down to a DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, HOME COOKED meal by 6:30 p.m. most nights.

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Finishing off my series Mondays in May, Get Moving! Today is a the perfect end-cap to our go, go, go get moving this month because today is all about REST. Literally.

In any good workout or training regimen perhaps the easiest piece to gloss over is not the actually working out– moving, running, biking, hiking, paddling, walking, weight lifting– it is more commonly the REST that we forget to infuse into our routine.

Here again, there are copious amounts of articles and information about the importance of rest and rejuvenation as you work hard to shape your body: here, here, here, here, here.

Rest is key to any workout regimen because this recovery time gives your body the chance to maximize all of the work you have done. Rest also doesn’t mean that you need to sit around on the couch all day. Take the chance to take a break from your more rigorous workouts by spending some quality time engaging in fun, relaxing activities with family and friends. Could there be a better time to do this than on a National Holiday?!?

The other, even more important piece of this day, Memorial Day, is REMEMBRANCE. Today we remember the service men and women who have served our country in any and every capacity. We remember others of our dearly departed. We visit gravesides and place flowers. We contemplate the great circle that is life.

Today I am grateful for my Grandfather, Earl Erwin Burnison. Earl served in the navy during World War II on the USS Mt. McKinley. We are grateful for his service to us and his service to our country. Grandpa on this Memorial Day, and always, we REMEMBER.

We also RELAX! Here are some of the things we’ve done this weekend to relax and celebrate with friends and family.

Mountain drives, marshmallow roasts, multiple train rides, a trip to the zoo, and a barbecue in the garage to escape the rain! (Photos below.)

Happy Memorial Day to you and yours!

XX, Megan