Bulgur with Garden Vegetables & Roasted Feta

Have you ever roasted goat feta? I just tried it tonight and it was so good I decided I had to do a post about it. Just crumble the feta into a small roasting dish, drizzle with a few good glugs of olive oil and throw in a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Roast. Then viola: tangy, salty, warm roasted feta goodness. For me this discovery is right up there with the first time I grilled a slab of haloumi a few years back. A very different texture mind you – much drier and fuller. You couldn’t eat a whole cake of roasted feta like some people (ahem, not me) might do with haloumi, but it makes a lip-smackingly good topping that I’m sure would complement many a dish.

Grilled goat feta has got a secret crush on, and wants to be all over:
– A big pot of this vegetarian chili
– This roasted chickpea and squash stew
– A big bowl of garlicky mushrooms
– This Bulghur Garden Vegetable Salad:

Bulgur with Garden Vegetables & Roasted Feta Recipe
You can play around with the vegetables in here. If you are in the throes of winter try green beans and spinach, or even pan-fried crunchy brussels sprouts. Ooh – i’m definitely trying the brussels sprouts when winter rolls in down here!

7oz / 200g goat feta
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
¼ cup plus a few good glugs of good quality olive oil
1 cup fine bulgur wheat

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1 inch / 3cm slices

1 red bell pepper / capsicum, cut into thick slices
1 clove garlic, crushed in a pestle and mortar with 2 big pinches of sea salt

1 lemon, juice only
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons mint, finely chopped

¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 400F / 200C. Crumble the feta into a small roasting pan, drizzle with a few good glugs of olive oil, and sprinkle over a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the feta starts to brown on the tips.

Place the bulgur in a medium bowl and fill with boiling water until just covered. Leave for 15 minutes to soak the water, add a couple pinches of salt and fluff with a fork.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and capsicum and cook until lightly browned. Remove from heat and stir in a couple pinches of sea salt and the fresh herbs. Mix into the bulgur.

Make the dressing by whisking the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Add half the dressing to the bulghur along with half the walnuts. Mix well and add more dressing if required.

Garnish with remaining walnuts and goat feta.

Serves 4.