Tabbouleh

As soon as I saw fresh parsley at the farmers market this morning I knew dinner tonight would involve tabbouleh.
I had never made tabbouleh before last summer but now I think it's safe to say it's become one of my warm weather staple salads. Making this salad reminds me that in the last year I've really had some eye- opening moments about seasoning, and this salad was one of them.



Is there any one else out there who was (or is) a little timid with the salt/pepper/lemon juice/olive oil etc when putting the finishing touches on a dish? I never thought I was but I can look back now and realize I was obviously scared of ruining a dish. In the end my dishes were good, but now so much better with just more salt/pepper/olive oil/lemon juice etc.
Sounds simple, I know, but it really makes a world of difference. Don't be scared, just add more salt!

1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup bulgar wheat
1 clove garlic*
1 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoon minced mint
1 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 english cucumber
juice of 1 lemon
a generous swig of olive oil
generous seasoning of salt**

Place bulgar wheat in a bowl and boil 1 cup of salted water. Pour boiling water over bulgar and let sit covered for 30-45 minutes.***
Toast millet over medium heat for about 4 minutes until aromatic. Meanwhile bring 1 cup of salted water to boil in a pot. Add millet and reduce heat to simmer and cover for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered for another 10 minutes.
To cook pearl barley, bring 1 cup of salted water to a boil, add pearl barley, reduce to simmer and cover for  about 35 minutes.****
Once all grains are cooked, let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile chop tomatoes and cucumbers into quarters. Chop green onions, mince garlic, parsley, and mint.
Combine grains, vegetables and herbs in a large bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and season to taste.

*This salad is soooo good with roasted garlic (add a few more cloves if doing that) but I just kind of forgot today. oops!
**Maybe close to a teaspoon? maybe start with 1/2?
***These directions come from Martha but I always seem to have some liquid left in the bowl, so I strain it out.
****This never takes me this long, just simmer covered until its absorbed all the liquid