For a micronutrient rich diet

To get the puns out of my system swiftly and efficiently, I'm going to start by urging you all to get your freekeh on with this recipe (Right. That's over with now. I promise.) Although this grain is very widely eaten in North African, Levantine and Eastern Mediterranean cuisines, it has only recently become more available in the UK (outside of health food shops that is) thanks to a resurgence in interest in several forgotten types of ancient grains.

And ancient this little grain certainly is. Name checked in the bible, this roasted or smoked green wheat was supposedly discovered by accident when soldiers in the Eastern Med tried to ruin enemy crops by setting fire to their wheat fields.  In trying to salvage what they could, the locals discovered that if the burnt shells were removed, lovely green grains were revealed. Freekeh has a nutty, smokey flavour as a result and can be used in place of rice or couscous. Pronounced “free-kah”, the name actually translates to “to rub”, referring to the process by which freekeh is made. Young green grains, most commonly wheat, are roasted before the grain is rubbed off the wheat head. 

What's the A to V?

As a grain, freekeh is a great source of the B vitamins, including vitamin B1 and B3 (better known as thiamine and niacin respectively). It's also rich in several essential dietary minerals, notably manganese and phosphorus.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6):

1 large fennel bulb (or 2 small), sliced into chunky rounds

250g of freekeh

2 tbsp's of olive oil

Salt, or garlic salt to season

For the salsa

Roughly 50g of mixed herbs (I like to use parsley and coriander)

6-8 green olives

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp of capers

Salt and pepper

A good splash of water, and a generous glug of olive oil (to preference)