Mediterranean Wheatberry Salad

When we first moved into our new place a few months ago, the garden was looking pretty dead.  A closer inspection found dirt and little brown, dead-looking shoots sticking out of the ground everywhere. The following two months were a whirlwind of final papers, commencement activities, and art shows (M.Ed., thanks for wondering) and before we knew it, the garden was filled with fresh, fragrant mint. Those little brown shoots were mint, which I quickly learned is an extremely invasive weed. When it came time to plant other things, I had no choice but to thin the mint, and one wheelbarrow full of fresh mint and plenty of minty-muddled glasses of water later and I had the idea for this recipe.

Feta, lemon juice and mint are all pretty strong flavors, but they’re kept under control by the wheatberries with their mild, nutty sweetness. Feta brings brine which is nicely countered by the roasted red peppers’ sweetness, and fresh mint brings a grassy spark to the party.

Wheatberries are very high in fiber, which is good because fiber has the tendency to sweep away bad stuff. Lemon juice and peppers are high in vitamin C, which is always nice. Feta is a member of the cheese group, which is vital for happiness.

Mediterranean Wheatberry Salad makes a healthy and intriguing alternative to pasta salad for the season’s barbecues. Most folks are not super-familiar with wheatberries, so on top of being fantastically tasty, Mediterranean Wheatberry Salad could serve as a conversation piece in place of pasta salad at your next barbecue.

One last note: since wheatberries are so high in fiber they tend to be filling, so I recommend a 1/2 cup per serving if you want to save room for a burger and dessert. Just a recommendation though… not trying to micromanage your plate or anything.

Mediterranean Wheatberry Salad – serves 8 – 12

6 cups water
1 t salt
2 cups dry wheatberries
3 roasted red peppers
10 sprigs of fresh mint, about 1.5 cups cut into a chiffonade
16 ounces feta cheese
juice of 1 large lemon, 1/4 – 1/3 cup
2 T olive oil

Combine the water and salt in a medium saucepan (2.5 quart-ish) and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the wheatberries lower heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Drain and allow to cool.

While the wheatberries simmer, pre-heat the broiler or your oven to 600 degrees. If using the oven, move the rack to the top so that it’s 4 – 6 inches (no closer than 4) from the element or flame before it heats up to avoid risking a burn.

Cut the peppers into flat pieces:  hold the pepper right-side up by the stem on a cutting board and slice down from the top on each side, working to avoid hitting the seeds (see pics). Tap any seeds out of the pepper pieces. Place the pieces skin side up onto a broiler rack if you have a broiler, or a rack on a cookie sheet if you’re using the oven set to broil. Broil for 10 minutes until the pepper’s skin begins to blacken. There might be a lot of smoke, so if you have a fan, definitely use it. There will be a moment of, “Ahhh!! There’s smoke!”, but seriously, it should be okay. Just be sure not to place the peppers too close to the flame/element. No less than 4 inches.

Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool. The skin should peel right off, but you might need to slide a knife under the skin to help pull it off (see pic). Slice the roasted pepper into strips.

Chiffonade the mint (see pic). Dice the feta into 1/4 inch cubes.

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and olive oil to emulsify.

In a large bowl work the wheatberries with the lemon juice/olive oil mixture, mix in the mint, peppers and  feta. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving.