Spring Wheat Berry Salad

About this time last year, I learned how to properly cook quinoa , a revelation that not only gave the ancient grain a permanent spot in my pantry, but also inspired a number of grain salads I made all summer long.

While the ingredients in each salad varied from radishes and peas to cherry tomatoes and cucumbers to roasted squash and wilted mustard greens, the formula was always the same: something fresh, something crunchy, something spicy, something sweet. The dressing was simple too: extra-virgin olive oil and minced red onions macerated in vinegar or lemon juice. Cheese never entered the equation, nor was it missed.

Here, wheat berries and walnuts combine with asparagus and radishes in an addictive, chewy, crunchy, colorful combination, a simple salad to herald the arrival of spring, which at last appears to be here to stay.

Happy Friday, Everyone.

The recipe below can be summed up as follows:

To make a delectable grain salad every time, cook 1 cup grains in heavily salted water; drain and toss with a pinch of kosher salt (as much as a teaspoon depending on the grain/how much you salted the water) , 1/3 cup olive oil , 1 minced red onion macerated in 2 tablespoons vinegar , and freshly cracked black pepper to taste; add something crunchy (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.), something sweet (raisins, currants, dates, etc.), something hot (minced chili pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, hot sauce, etc.), and something fresh (radish, asparagus, peas, etc.). Toss. Taste. Adjust with more salt, pepper, vinegar, etc. Toss. Taste. Serve.

A few other salads you might like:

Quinoa with Radishes and Edamame Summer Farro Salad Fava Beans with Pecorino Quinoa with Mango, Lime & Ginger Tabbouleh Farro with Mustard Greens and Roasted Onions Edamame and Radishes

• 1 cup wheat berries (pre-steamed or not — just be sure to check the cooking time on the package)
• 1 small red onion or a few shallots
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 cup walnuts
• 8 to 10 radishes
• 3 to 4 medjool dates or other dried fruit
• 2 to 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• about a teaspoon of kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste or minced hot chili pepper (jalapeno, serrano, etc)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the red onion or shallot and place in a small bowl. Cover with 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar — it’s OK if all of the pieces are not submerged.
3. Chop off the end of the asparagus spears. Cut the asparagus on the bias (just for looks) into small pieces — ½-inch to 1-inch in size.
4. Cut off the ends of each radish. Slice thinly into rounds — a mandoline is a good tool for this. Stack a few slices at a time, then cut straight down to make slivers.
5. Cut the dates into small pieces, set aside.
6. If you feel like toasting the nuts, place walnuts on a sheet pan and cook at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes — watch closely to prevent burning. Place the toasted walnuts in a tea towel and rub together to remove papery skin. Transfer walnuts to a sieve and shake again to remove any additional skin. More detailed instructions can be found here . I actually didn’t toast the walnuts this time, and I thought they were delicious.
7. Cook wheat berries according to package instruction. During the last minute of cooking, add the asparagus to the pot and cook one minute further. Note: My package called for 15 minutes of cooking time but it took about 17 minutes or so for the wheat berries to be done. I added the asparagus after the 17 minutes and cooked the wheat berries/asparagus for one minute more — wheat berries are forgiving; they won’t turn to mush like pasta if overcooked by a minute.
8. Drain wheat berries and asparagus, transfer to a bowl and season immediately with 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or a little less if you are wary), the olive oil, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
9. Add the macerated red onions, chopped walnuts, radishes and dates. Toss with a large spoon. Taste. Add another tablespoon of vinegar if necessary and more salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Toss. Taste again. Serve.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes

• Cook Time: 35 minutes

• 1 cup wheat berries (pre-steamed or not — just be sure to check the cooking time on the package)

• 1 small red onion or a few shallots

• 1 bunch asparagus

• 1 cup walnuts

• 8 to 10 radishes

• 3 to 4 medjool dates or other dried fruit

• 2 to 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

• ⅓ cup olive oil

• about a teaspoon of kosher salt

• freshly cracked black pepper to taste

• crushed red pepper flakes to taste or minced hot chili pepper (jalapeno, serrano, etc)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the red onion or shallot and place in a small bowl. Cover with 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar — it’s OK if all of the pieces are not submerged.
3. Chop off the end of the asparagus spears. Cut the asparagus on the bias (just for looks) into small pieces — ½-inch to 1-inch in size.
4. Cut off the ends of each radish. Slice thinly into rounds — a mandoline is a good tool for this. Stack a few slices at a time, then cut straight down to make slivers.
5. Cut the dates into small pieces, set aside.
6. If you feel like toasting the nuts, place walnuts on a sheet pan and cook at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes — watch closely to prevent burning. Place the toasted walnuts in a tea towel and rub together to remove papery skin. Transfer walnuts to a sieve and shake again to remove any additional skin. More detailed instructions can be found here . I actually didn’t toast the walnuts this time, and I thought they were delicious.
7. Cook wheat berries according to package instruction. During the last minute of cooking, add the asparagus to the pot and cook one minute further. Note: My package called for 15 minutes of cooking time but it took about 17 minutes or so for the wheat berries to be done. I added the asparagus after the 17 minutes and cooked the wheat berries/asparagus for one minute more — wheat berries are forgiving; they won’t turn to mush like pasta if overcooked by a minute.
8. Drain wheat berries and asparagus, transfer to a bowl and season immediately with 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or a little less if you are wary), the olive oil, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
9. Add the macerated red onions, chopped walnuts, radishes and dates. Toss with a large spoon. Taste. Add another tablespoon of vinegar if necessary and more salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Toss. Taste again. Serve.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2014/04/04/spring-wheat-berry-salad/

Nigella Lawson’s mint sauce first appeared on our Easter table in 2003, the same year the Easter Egg Nest Cake made its debut, both recipes having appeared in the New York Times earlier that week.

Unlike the Easter Egg Nest cake, which we loved — really, we did — the mint sauce returned to the table every following Easter, the fresh combination of mint and parsley, olive oil and vinegar, capers and cornichons the perfect accompaniment to lamb no matter the preparation — roasted racks , braised shanks, broiled meatballs , pan-seared chops .

Bright green and fresh, this sauce bears no resemblance to mint jelly and tastes more like a salsa verde or a nut- and cheese-free pesto. It complements the lamb so well, but it’s the kind of sauce you’ll end up drizzling all over your plate, dragging your spears of roasted asparagus through, and mopping up with your bread throughout your meal.

When I began planning my Easter menu a few weeks ago, I briefly entertained the idea of borrowing my aunt and uncle’s spit, making a vat of this mint sauce, and inviting all of Niskayuna to our backyard for a Greek Easter celebration, whole-roasted lamb, spanakopita , and baklava included.

A number of circumstances namely an upcoming move (just a few blocks away, nbd) led me to scale back. Most likely I will be serving my two guests these lamb chops, seasoned with salt, pepper and oregano, broiled for three minutes a side, a meal that takes minutes to prepare, one my mother often made for my siblings and me as children, something I still love today.

A truly simple Easter dinner: broiled lamb chops with mint sauce; peasant bread ; roasted asparagus; lemon-ricotta cheesecake for dessert (coming soon).

Incidentally, I desperately need new sheet pans and have been browsing around the web for new ones. So far I’ve purchased one of these quarter sheet pans (this size: 13×9.625×1.375-inch), and I love it. Never thought I would use this size so much, but it has already been so handy:

• lamb chops (rib chops versus loin chops if possible)

• kosher salt

• freshly cracked pepper

• oregano

• lemon wedges ( cut the pretty way )

• mint sauce (recipe below)

1. Preheat the broiler to high for a good 20 minutes if possible. Meanwhile, bring your lamb chops to room temperature (the 20 minutes while the broiler is preheating is fine).
2. Season both sides all over with salt, pepper and oregano. Place on a broiling pan.
3. Broil 3 minutes a side. Pile onto a platter. Let rest for at least five minutes. Drizzle mint sauce lightly over top or pass on the side. Serve lemon wedges on the side, too.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Lamb
• Method: Broiler
• Cuisine: Greek

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut ends off asparagus. Arrange on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss. Arrange in single layer. Roast until edges are crispy, 15 to 20 minutes.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Vegetable
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Description

Adapted from Nigella Lawson , original recipe in NYTimes here .

Note: Original recipe calls for 16 cornichons — sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t. Didn’t have them when I made the sauce most recently, and I didn’t miss them. It’s your call.

• 2 cups loosely packed mint
• 2 cups loosely packed parsley
• 1 to 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons capers
• 16 cornichons, optional
• pinch salt
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• pinch sugar

1. Process mint and parsley leaves in a food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down side of processor. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, olive oil, capers, cornichons (if using), pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar, and process to combine. Taste. Add the additional tablespoon of vinegar if necessary (I always do) and more salt, pepper and sugar if necessary. Process again, taste, adjust, etc. Transfer to serving bowl.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Sauce
• Method: Food Processor
• Cuisine: Greek