Move into summer with ancient grains. This dish is the perfect side for a bar-b-que, stovetop or oven. What I love about bulgur is that this grain requires no cooking. The grain is partially cooked so all you have to do is pour hot water on it and allow the grain to reabsorb it and it is ready to go. My favorite cucumber to use for this dish is a Persain cucumber. They are sweeter in flavor and have less seeds.

Summer has started. The air  where you live may be cool in the morning, warm or extremely hot (like in Texas). This is the time of year where you may feel like eating something that is  a little  sweet, crunchy,  fried and light in texture. One of my favorite salads or appetizers/ mezze  is a dish that has inspired me from the cookbook author Yasmin Khan, The Ripe Fig. The dish is Halloumi saganaki. Saganaki is a Greek cuisine that simply means an appetizer, fried cheese or flambeed prepared  in a  frying pan.