Get Your Freekeh on!

We don't know whether you know what freekeh is, but presume that most of you are like us and do not. For those in the same boat as us, freekeh is a food made from young green wheat that is very common in the Arab community. Freekeh is low carb, high protein and very rich in calcium and iron.

Kelly actually happened upon freekeh just the other day @ Trader Joe's when she asked one of the guys in the store for farro. We recently had come across several farro recipes that we hoped to create and each time we simply substituted the farro with quinoa. The guy Kelly spoke with at Trader Joe's was not familiar with farro and asked her whether she meant freekeh -- this was not the case, but he recommended freekeh in such a way that Kelly didn't hesitate to place a bag in her cart (FYI - for around $2 dollars/bag, serving a total of approximately 1.5 cups).

Having made this purchase, Kelly set out to make us our very first dish with freekeh.

She became intrigued by this dish from Williams Sonoma : Bulgur Salad with Lemon, Peas & Mint. Of course, ultimately deciding to use freekeh instead of bulgur while adding feta and toasted pinenuts to the mix. I think her additions to this recipe really put it over the top with a nice variety of color and texture. This salad was just delicious -- the nuttiness and heartiness of the freekeh was complimented perfectly by the blending variety of flavors, especially the lemon, sun dried tomatoes and feta. Not to mention, the mint just added a whole other level of complexity that seemed to throw us both off, but in the best way possible.

Based on this positive first freekeh experience and given the nutrients it includes (not to mention the low cost), we will most definitely be cooking more similiar dishes very soon!

ps - This enticing recipe, compliments of the lovely Heidi Robb, is next on our list :)