On a recent visit with my boyfriend in his hometown, we took a long walk on a gorgeous afternoon. We meandered through the neighborhood where we used to live, which happens to be our favorite neighborhood in the city, and found ourselves headed toward our favorite house, a beautifully maintained white stucco number from the early 1900s with beautiful stained glass windows that stands high above the street on a street corner next to a park. The owners were in the garden profiting from a bout of sunshine squeezed between a couple of threatening thunderstorms, and our compliments, shouted from the sidewalk, prompted a very long conversation on their front walk. We starting by talking about how much we’ve adored their home and soon felt like the oldest of friends (they even introduced us to their young neighbors!). It was the sort of random meeting that I love all the more because I come from a small town; I’m always heartened when strangers take a genuine interest in one another, proving that the big world isn’t as cold as I once feared, nor as different from my hometown as I often fool myself into believing. The couple invited us to come back another time to see the inside of the house, and Colin and I walked away, holding hands and bubbly with excitement over our new friendship.

In honor of this reminder of small-town friendliness, I made a dish that reminds me of my own small hometown, a haven for health nuts. This quinoa salad is exactly the sort of dish I hoped would never cross my lips again when I moved away for college. Now, I find myself a bit nostalgic for the taboulé, kale, hummus and brown rice of my youth.

Quinoa isn’t only for vegans or those who follow a gluten-free diet. These little seeds are an amazing source of protein, have a fluffy texture and cook more quickly than rice. I really love the way the germ makes a white ring around each grain, which is especially beautiful on the red quinoa I used in this recipe. This salad can be served warm or at room temperature and is perfect as a main dish for a weeknight dinner, for taking to potlucks, or as a side. I like the idea of grilling eggplant steaks brushed with salt and olive oil and laying them on a bed of this salad for a light, summery Mediterranean meal.

Quinoa and Chick Pea Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

For quinoa salad:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 can chick peas
• 1/2 red onion, chopped

For dressing:

• 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons hot water

1. Prepare the quinoa according to directions on package. If the instructions say to rinse it before cooking, don’t skip this step! I used no-rinse red quinoa. When the quinoa is finished cooking, drain off any remaining water.

2. Combine the quinoa, salt, chick peas and onion in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and blend until combined. Add the hot water and blend again until smooth.

4. Toss the quinoa salad in the dressing and serve. Serves 4.