Wheatberry Salad
I have so many things to thank Pinterest for.... constant inspiration for serving up delicious dinners....simultaneously making me want to skip dinner and head out for a 5k run.... hours lusting for long and luxurious locks of hair {so I can hire someone to come tie them up perfectly in an unkempt bun for me}... not to mention my daily dose of confidence boosting.
I think, however, that my favorite thing I've picked up from Pinterest is the novel idea of serving food and drinks out of canning jars. In this day and age, no party is complete without something served in mason jars. I've been itching like crazy to try them out at our next party {4th of July} and have already purchased several dozen in several different sizes. They've been sitting in the garage taunting me...daring me to wash and use them before the 4th giving me all sorts of notions about learning the {somewhat} lost art of canning fruits and vegetables like my grandmothers did.
So, when our family decided to BBQ this weekend in Catalina, I decided to make a couple of salads and serve them in my mason jars. They were absolutely perfect for sharing and so much nicer than eating out of plastic bowls. Everyone loved the little jars, but more than anything they enjoyed the salad I put in them. It was substantial, yet light, the perfect thing to eat while sitting around in a bathing suit all weekend!
Ingredients:
1 cup hard wheat berries, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Cook wheatberries according to package directions {I used 1 cup of wheatberries to 3 1/2 cups of water and it took them close to an hour and a half to cook through}. Allow wheatberries to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled wheatberries, almonds, celery, dried cranberries, scallions, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Allow salad to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving so that all of the flavors can come together.
Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger's Wheat Berry Salad