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.

Cucumber Salad

We’re having what may be the final barbecue of the year for us this weekend. After a season of potato salads and coleslaw, I was thinking a lighter side dish might be in order. Cucumbers are still going strong in our area, and so I was reminded of this Eastern European dish. Cucumber Salad is cool and refreshing and makes a great accompaniment to barbecued meats.

This is my husband’s recipe. It’s satisfying but light, and offers an excellent alternative to typical mayonnaise-based sides; yogurt and sour cream provide far more calcium and protein than typical potato salad, and cucumbers offer far less carbohydrate.

Greek yogurt gives the dish more structure than plain American style yogurt, and the sour cream lends its sweet creaminess. We got our garlic from a vendor at the Rowley Farmer’s Market and the cucumbers came from a farm down the road.

Cucumber Salad – serves 4 – 6

1/2 C full fat sour cream
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed and diced
2 cucumbers
1 t dill
salt to taste

Peel the cucumbers, halve lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers with garlic, sour cream, yogurt and dill. Season with salt to taste.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with dill, if desired.

Summer Couscous Salad

It’s late August and fresh, ripe veggies are being picked in gardens and on farms across New England. The sun and the rain have done their thing, and now the year’s very best peppers, radishes, zucchini and tomatoes are ready to leap from their vines (or soil as the case may be) and onto a table near you.

It’s lovely really, but it can be tough to tell what can be done with so many veggies all at once. What is a good dish to utilize such a great combination and bring out the best notes in each vegetable? There are obviously plenty of options, but the following Couscous Salad is a dish that I’m fond of this time of year because it can be served warm or cold.

Zucchini absorbs a little butter flavor while it sautés with the pepper. Tomato and radishes add a little sweetness and tang. Feta rounds out the bunch with a little brininess and the couscous keeps things under control.

Summer Couscous Salad – serves 2 – 4

1 C dry couscous
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 bell pepper (purple adds a nice color)
1 zucchini
1 tomato
5 radishes
3 ounces feta cheese

Prepare couscous as directed.

Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters and then into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut the pepper 1/4 inch pieces. Melt butter over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the butter begins to foam add the zucchini and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until softened and lightly brown, adjusting heat accordingly.

Meanwhile, halve the tomato and remove the membrane and seeds. Dice into 1/4 inch cubes.

Halve the radishes lengthwise and finely slice.

Dice the feta.

Remove the zucchini and peppers from heat. Toss all vegetables with the couscous and feta. Serve warm or cold.

Creamy Potato Salad

Potato salad is the obvious side for a barbecue. Sure you can buy a tub at the market, but it’s really not difficult to make at home. This recipe comes out thick and creamy. Red and green onions add color and flavor, and dill mellows out the mix.

It’s also a pretty fast recipe. The potatoes are peeled and cubed before simmering, so they cook in less than 7 minutes. It’s also great to make in advance, as the longer it sits refrigerated, the more the potatoes absorb the flavor.

Try it out. Then when your friends and neighbors come over to your next barbecue and say, “Yum! This potato salad is wonderful! Where did you buy it?”, you can smile proudly and say, “I made it myself, thank you very much!”

Creamy Potato Salad – serves 4 – 6

6 – 7 medium golden potatoes
3/4 C mayonnaise
2 t apple cider vinegar
1/2 C red onion, diced
3 T green onion, finely chopped
1 T dried dill
1 t sugar
salt to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes, about 1/2 inches wide. Drop into salted, boiling water, lower heat to and allow to simmer for 5 – 7 minutes. Take one out, allow it to cool and test to make sure the potato is cooked. They should be just soft enough for a knife to come out easily, but not smooshy. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes until cool.

Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, onions, dill and sugar in a large bowl. Add potatoes. Mix gently to avoid crushing the potatoes.

Transfer to a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Avocadango Walnut Salad

As you know, avocados and mangoes are not native to New England, so this post kind of flies in the face of my whole local theme, but oh well. It’s winter in New England. Fruit must come from somewhere and mangoes and avocados are among my favorites.

I devised this salad a few years ago when I was on a bit of a pine nut kick. I’ve since decided to cool it on the pine nuts until more information comes out about “pine nut-associated cacogeusia” – a disorder that came to light last winter that causes some people to experience a metallic taste in their mouth for up to two weeks after eating some pine nuts. It’s yet undetermined which pine nuts cause the disorder. That’s scary stuff and I’d rather not take any risks. I now make this salad with walnuts and the soft texture works just as well.

Refreshing, sweet mango and creamy avocado offset the greens’ coy bitterness and the walnuts bring texture. In addition being absolutely ambrosial, this salad is so absurdly nutritious, it’s radicchio. Walnuts are rich in omega-3, avocados contain plenty of potassium and vitamins B6 and K, mango is heavy on vitamins A and C, and greens offer a good source of folate.

And yes, I’m taking poetic license with the name.

Avocadango Walnut Salad – serves 2

1 mango
1 avocado
1 T lemon juice
1/3 C walnuts
5 ounces mixed baby salad greens (arugula, spinach, radicchio, etc)
2 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar

Peel the mango and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Halve the avocado, remove pit and scoop either side from its shell. Cut into 1 inch cubes and toss with lemon juice.

Using tongs, in a large serving bowl (or whatever, it’s your kitchen) toss the salad greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add the avocado, mango and walnuts, being careful to not squish the avocado or allow the walnuts to gather at the bottom.

Ingredient origins: Organic mango – Chile; Organic avocado – Mexico; Organic lemon – Florida; Walnuts – California; Organic salad greens – Maine; Olive oil – Italy; Balsamic vinegar – Italy. I know. The whole local thing was completely thrown out the window for this recipe, but all of my readers in sunny California would be able to pull it off in good locavore fashion!