Autumnal Wheat Berry Salad
Autumn is one of the best reasons we live in New England. And one of the best reasons we live at the elevation we do (1350 feet above sea level--nothing compared to places out west but fairly high for this part of the world) is that we get astounding color. Incessant frosts begin in mid-September. This picture was taken in our backyard--and it tells the tale: a glorious colorscape.
Which also means it's time to start hunkering down. Yesterday, I chopped out withered plants in the garden while Bruce took the air conditioners out of the bedroom windows and did a little cleaning in the garage. All part of shutting the door on winter.
But not before we celebrate this season. And here's our way: a wheat berry salad that's still got all the raw goodness of summer produce while offering a little taste of the chill to come: hard roots, deep (rather than bright) flavors.
Start by bringing a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in 3 cups wheat berries, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the grains are tender, about 45 minutes. Wheat berries, by the way, are just the whole wheat grain: bran, endosperm, and germ (minus the inedible hull, of course). They're a powerful pack of nutrients and fiber: a cup has less than 300 calories and packs a punch of protein, iron, magnesium, and vitamin E. In other words, definitely real food.
Once cooked, drain the wheat berries in a colander in the sink, then dump them in a large serving bowl and stir in 3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecan pieces. Easiest way to toast them? Put the pieces in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and cook, stirring once in a while, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Cool a bit, then chop them into tiny bits.
Next, shred 4 peeled carrots into tiny threads. You could use the large holes of a box grater; but as you can see, Bruce used the shredding blade of the food processor. These carrots will add lots of moisture to the dish, pushing your experience of it to even greater satisfaction.
And speaking of that, also shred up three peeled apples. Same way: Bruce used the shredding blade of the food processor, but the large holes of that old-fashioned box grater will work just as well. The point is to get the carrots and apples into similarly sized pieces. And notice: raw. I'm not a raw food advocate, but I do know this salad has got quite a bit of heart-healthy nutrients precisely because the veggies are still in their "natural" state.
Then peel and dice two very small leeks. You want the thinnest ones you can find, probably from a farmers' market. The fat, thick ones can be very quite strong--OK for cooking but not so great raw in a salad like this. As to the leeks, you only eat the white and very pale green parts raw. Cut off the dark green parts, then peel the leeks. Split them in half lengthwise, then wash them well for any sand in the inner chambers. Now slice them into very thin half moons.
Finally, a little bit of strangeness: 1/2 cup diced dried hibiscus flowers. Holy cow, you might say, where am I going to get those. Um, Trader Joe's. Talk about autumnal! They're a sweet/sour spike in the salad. That said, if you don't want to use them, consider dried cranberries (be careful of those made with lots of oil--read the package) or dried apricots. In either case, dice them into little pieces so they don't become too distracting in each spoonful.
Now you're ready to put it all together. Mix the wheat berries, carrots, apples, leeks, and diced hibiscus flowers in a large bowl. Then stir in 1/4 cup toasted walnut oil, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, some salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Done. Best of all, the salad makes quite a bit, so it saves for lunch or dinner in the days ahead. I had one serving for lunch on the first day, then another last night for dinner with a roasted delicata squash on the side (with some of that homemade butter, of course--check it out here).
And so here's to autumn, to the days turning cool, to that color splash over the world before the long winter's nap sets in. Again, a shot from our back yard. (I told you we lived far from the madding crowd.) Over the next few days, 
I wish you moments of unexpected color, a brilliant spark as you round some corner, whether it be in the trees, your children's eyes, your partner's smile, or a simple cup of hot tea after a meal like this, one stocked with real food, nothing fake.
Wheat berries, apples, carrot, salad, vegan, vegetarian
Reader Comments (2)
The end result of your salad really did resemble the colors of that final photo, nice touch! Sounds like a really healthy salad. I tried the dried hibiscus at Trader Joe's out of curiosity. Did you try eating it whole? It kind of tickles your throat like a spider. ;-)
Great photos of the changing leaves! I love autumn. This dish sounds so yummy. Wheat berries are one of my favourite grains and I love all the things you added to this salad.