wheat berry salad

Dried ingredients are a great way to eat seasonally in the winter months. They keep without preservatives and can be prepared days ahead of time. This recipe, given to me by my mother, uses wheat berries, wild rice, blue valentine beans, Christmas lima beans and dried cherries. The colors of the beans are beautiful in the salad and the flavors provide a strong earthiness that blends well with the seasonal produce, but since these beans are sometimes difficult to find, feel free to substitute any bean of your choosing. In fact, the great part about this recipe is that you can adjust everything to your liking. For instance, I chose a sherry vinaigrette for the dressing in order to keep it earthy but not too sweet. However, a mixture of mirin and seasoned rice vinegar tastes great too. Use this recipe as a starting point and then run with it.

This recipe yields enough to feed a dozen. I like to keep it in the fridge and eat it throughout the week.

Ingredients:
For the salad:
1/2 cup christmas lima beans
1/2 cup blue valentine beans
1/2 cup wild rice
1 cup wheat berries
1/2 cup cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnut meats, toasted
1/2 a broccoli head
1/2 a parsnip
1 leek, white part only
1/2 a carrot
Salt & pepper

For the dressing:
 4 T honey
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1 T balsamic reduction, or 2 T balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Soak the beans separately for 3-8 hours or overnight. Put each of the beans in separate pots and cover with an inch of water. Salt the water lightly, cover and bring to a boil, then to a simmer. Cook for an hour to an hour and a half, or until tender. Drain and place in bowls to cool. Salt and pepper lightly.


In the same two pots, add three cups of water and a pinch of salt. Add the rice in one and the wheat berries in another. Bring both to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes, or until tender. Drain the rice and wheat berries and place in bowls to cool. Salt and pepper lightly.



Meanwhile, wash and peel your produce. Chop roughly. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss and salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, make the dressing. Combine the honey, cloves, salt and pepper and whisk together. Add the vinegar and whisk until bubbly. Begin to slowly drizzle the olive oil, whisking vigorously until thoroughly combined. Adjust dressing to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Serve the salad alone or on a bed of fresh greens. It also tastes wonderful with a sprinkle of blue cheese and a bit of rosemary.