Couscous Salad with Dried Apricots

'My favorite uses for (If & When) are salads and soups....adds something almost indescribable other than "depth." When I run out, and am forced to cook without, I notice the difference in flavor immediately.

This recipe is one of my summer favorites: I skip the preserved lemons and just use the paste.'

-Cristina, Los Angeles

Yield: 12 servings

Need

• 3 cups Israeli (pearl) couscous, whole-wheat or regular
• 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 TBS sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
• ¾ tsp coarse kosher salt, more to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¾ cup chopped dried apricots
• ¾ cup torn fresh mint leaves
• ⅔ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
• ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
• ½ cup chopped scallion, white and light-green parts
• 2 TBS Moroccan Preserved Meyer Lemon, to taste
• Chopped pistachios, for garnish (optional)

Do

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the couscous until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain.

While it cooks, toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes, then crush lightly with a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife.

Toss the warm couscous with the cumin, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Once it's cooled slightly, fold in the apricots, mint, dill, olive oil, scallion, and Moroccan paste. Taste and adjust with more salt, paste, or oil as needed. Garnish with pistachios if using.

Adapted from the New York Times Cooking recipe by Melissa Clark.