Recipe - Herbed Whole-Oat Salad

1 cup Whole oats
One half cup Minced onion
1 lg Shallot if desired; minced
1 1/8 teaspoon Ground allspice
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice; or to
taste
2 tablespoon Olive oil; (preferably
; extravirgin), or
; to taste
One half cup Finely chopped fresh mint
leaves
1 Cucumber; peeled if desired,
; seeded, and chopped
1 cup Vineripened cherry
tomatoes; quartered

In a large saucepan of salted boiling water cook oats 25 minutes. Drain
oats in a colander and rinse under cold water. Set colander over a kettle
of boiling water (oats should not touch water) and steam oats, covered with
a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and fry, 5 to 10 minutes (check water
level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).

While oats are cooking, in large bowl stir together onion, shallot,
allspice, and salt. Stir in hot oats and cool. Stir in lemonjuice, oil,
parsley, mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Add cucumber and tomatoes and
toss salad gently. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6