Top | Fall

Wheat Berry Beet Salad

(recipe, Alison McLellan)


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Introduction

Inspired by beautiful fall beets and the wheat berries my parents have been giving me all summer- they received a bag almost every week in their CSA box and my dad can't eat wheat!!

Ingredients

  1. 2 cups wheat berries, uncooked
  2. 6 cups water
  3. 2 tsp. each: fennel seed, mustard seed, coriander seed, dried marjoram
  4. 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  5. dash of salt
  6. dash of black pepper
  7. 2 bay leaves
  8. 3 large beets
  9. 1 small red onion, cut into chunks
  10. 4 large cloves garlic
  11. olive oil for drizzling
  12. ½ cup chopped fresh dill
  13. 3 tsp. orange zest
  14. dressing:
  15. juice of one orange (3-4 tbsp)
  16. 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  17. 1 Tbsp. honey
  18. 2 tsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
  19. 2 Tbsp. tahini

Steps

  1. Cook the wheat berries with water, spices, and olive oil. To cook: rinse wheat berries thoroughly, then bring all ingredients to a boil, simmering for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until berries are tender and chewy but not crunchy (cooking time will vary with wheat variety). Drain, keeping the spices except bay leaves.
  2. Meanwhile, scrub the beets well, put in tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, and fold into a packet. put the onions and garlic in another foil packet, also drizzled with oil. Broil both packets on low until beets are tender and onions softening, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
  3. Take garlic cloves from packet and chop finely.
  4. Dice beets, peeling if desired.
  5. Mix dressing ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  6. Toss wheat berries with orange zest, garlic, dill, dressing, and onions.
  7. Add beets and toss lightly (if you over-mix it will all turn very purple).