SLICED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES WITH BASIL & WALNUT TABOULEH

By Ana Sortun, Oleana Restaurant

From her new cookbook: Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean
published by HarperCollins

Serves 8

1/2 cup of fine bulghar, soaked in 1/2 cup of hot water.
1/2 minced white onion
1 minced green bell pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove chopped garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil +1 Tablespoon
1 bunch basil, clean leaves only
1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted (reserve just a few for garnish)
Salt & pepper to taste

2 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

Place the onion, pepper, bulghar, lemon & 1/4 cup of olive oil in small mixing bowl and combine.
In a food processor, process the basil leaves with the garlic & walnuts and a pinch of salt until finely chopped. Stir into the bulghar mixture and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Spread thinly on the bottom of a platter and top with sliced tomatoes, season tomatoes with salt and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil if you want and some crushed reserved walnuts and serve.