Freekeh salad with pickled avocado

Pickled avocados

• 150 g water
• 120 g apple cider vinegar
• 80 g sugar
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 fresh green chilli (optional)
• 2 avocados (ripe but firm), flesh only, cut into thick wedges

Freekeh salad

• 1000 g water
• 250 g freekeh (see Tips)
• 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed (see Tips)
• ¼ tsp salt, plus extra to season
• 2 pinches ground black pepper, plus extra to season
• 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into pieces (4 cm)
• 100 g mayonnaise (see Tips)
• 100 g buttermilk
• 1 tsp sumac, plus extra for sprinkling
• 8 baby cucumbers (or "qukes"), cut lengthways into quarters
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling