Christmas Wheatberry Salad

A twist on tabbouleh! This recipe serves about 20 people.

I didn't measure when I made this, but these ratios are close enough... it's a very forgiving recipe.

Put the following ingredients in a large bowl and toss until mixed:

6 cups cooked wheat berries
1/4 cup finely chopped I'itoi onions - green parts only
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped tomatoes, chopped into small chunks
1 small or 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped into small chunks
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Drizzle over the top, and stir to mix well:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Salt to taste.

For best flavor, remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to serving, to remove the chill.

Autumn Wheat Berry Salad (or Stuffing)

This recipe can be served cold, room temperature or even warm on its own or used as a stuffing for squash, onions, turkey, etc.

• 1 cup wheat berries (or barley)
• 3 cups water
• 2 small or 1 large yam/sweet potato
• 1 tsp ground coriander (optional; sub allspice or cinnamon for a sweeter flavor)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped (or 2 Tbs minced sweet onion)
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans, pumpkin seeds, or slivered almonds (optional)

Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

• 2 Tbs. fig jam*
• 1 Tbs. fine prepared mustard (Dijon, wine, etc.)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbs. olive oil or some nice salad oil like hazelnut, etc.
• 2 Tbs. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch ground ginger
• Black pepper

Bring water to a boil; add wheat berries and cook 1 hour, until done; drain if needed. If using barley, cook accordingly depending on the type, pearled or not. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and coriander or other spices to your liking and roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a medium pan and saute onions, celery and apple just until they start to soften. Combine with potatoes and cooked wheat berries. Toss with dressing and serve.


*If you don't have fig jam handy, sub apple jelly, apple butter, apricot jam, pear jam, etc. or simmer 2 minced figs or half of a pear or apple in 1/4 cup water, 1 Tbs honey/sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice, or... be creative!

Vegetable Lentil Soup

Here's a delicious vegetarian recipe that will use up all the extra veggies in your crisper drawer.

Essential ingredients:

1/2 large yellow onion
3-5 carrots (about 1.5 cups chopped)
4 celery stalks (about 1.5 cups chopped)
4-6 cloves garlic
1 TBSP thyme leaves
1 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
2 16 oz cans tomatoes plus juice
1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
1.5-2 liters stock (I used mushroom but chicken or beef would work as well as a non-vegetarian option)
Olive oil

Optional ingredients - use whatever you have on hand and would like in the soup. This is what I had:

1 red bell pepper
3/4 c. flat-leafed parsley
1/4 c. freshly shelled peas
6 i'itoi (green) onions, white and green parts
2 cups chopped greens - I used mizuna but kale or chard would work nicely too

Chop the veggies ahead of time and keep in separate piles.

Put about 2 TBSP olive oil into a large soup pot. Heat until the oil starts to shimmer, then add the onion, carrot and celery to the oil. Cook on medium heat until the carrots start to soften; about 7 minutes. Stir often. The vegetables should sweat, not brown.

Add the garlic, thyme, oregano and optional veggies (minus greens) to the pot. Cook, stirring often, for about three minutes, until you can smell the garlic cooking.

Add the stock and lentils to the pot. Chop the tomatoes and add them and the juice from both cans*. Stir it all together and add the bay leaves. Poke them down into the liquid.

Cover and bring the soup to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, then check the lentils for tenderness. Cook longer if needed. Once the lentils are tender, season the soup to taste with salt** and cracked pepper. Fish out the bay leaves and discard them. Add the greens to the pot. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes.

*This is very much a tomato-based soup. If you don't want such strong tomato flavor, reduce to one can and add two more cups stock to the recipe.
**Add salt at the very end. If it is added earlier in cooking, the lentils will be tough.

Serve with a salad and hot bread with butter. YUM.

What else would work well in this soup? Turnips, added with the greens. Kohlrabi, added with the 2nd batch of veggies. Spinach, added about five minutes before serving. 1/4 c. wheat berries, added with the lentils.

It's a versatile recipe! Enjoy!

Dukkah-Seasoned Wheat Berry Patties

This is what happens when you have a little bit of lots of things to use up, so as always, adjust the recipe to suit your tastes and/or what you have on hand! We made these into pitas (think: Falafel), but can easily be served up like burgers or eaten on their own, perhaps with a nice roasted red pepper sauce or plain yogurt to top them off.

1 heaping cup cooked wheat berries or 2 cups cooked bulghur
3-4 sunchoke tubers (about ½ cup chopped)*
¼ cup chopped parsley leaves
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbs. minced onion
¼ cup hummus
1 Tbs Dukkah (optional; substitute sesame seeds, cumin, coriander or other seasonings as desired)
Salt and pepper
1 egg (or 1 Tbs ground flax seed soaked in 1/4 cup water)
2 Tbs. flour
4-6 pita breads
Desired garnish (finely grated cabbage, carrots, watercress, radishes, cucumbers, pickles, onions, yogurt, hummus, sprouts, etc. etc. etc….)

Grind cooked wheat berries in food processor until mealy (there will be some kernels that remain almost whole, but most of them will be ground up fairly well, not mushy though). Saute chopped sunchokes or steam or bake them whole until very soft and throw them into a food processor with the parsley, garlic, onion, hummus and blend it all together until finely chopped. Combine with remaining ingredients, including wheat berries, to form a thick mixture that holds together into patties. If needed, add a little water or flour to adjust your consistency.

Form mixture into 3-inch wide patties no more than ½ inch thick. Fry in ¼-inch of oil until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Drain on paper towel and keep warm in low oven if desired. Serve in pita breads with desired garnish.

*Note: you could substitute cooked potato, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, or other root vegetable for the sunchokes if desired.

Berries of Wheat

In light of all the wonderful wheat berries we've gotten lately, I feel compelled to share some of the recipes and ideas I've come across to use these little gems. Keep in mind that there is a difference between "soft" and "hard" wheat berries (think white rice vs. brown rice...), and I believe we are getting the "hard" kind. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if you cooked the hard ones much longer you could get a nice soft-chewy kernel instead.

I have found that it is not necessary to soak the wheat berries before cooking them as some sources suggest. I simply bring them to a boil and let them cook over medium-low heat (a high simmer if there is such a thing) for an hour or so until they're cooked. Soaking would probably help them cook a bit faster, though. I am intrigued to try cooking them overnight in my slow-cooker to see how well that works, but definitely you can cut your cooking time in half or less by using a pressure cooker! I am also curious if decent results could be achieved from pulsing cooked wheat berries briefly in the blender or food processor to get a different texture (and one that could be used in baking, for instance)--I will be trying it soon and let you know! You can also grind the berries before cooking, but be sure to use a glass jar and a blender or grinder with a strong motor.


Wheat berries are...

...discussed here, including different cooking methods in Wheat Berries 101.
http://culinarybazaar.blogspot.com/2009/01/wheat-berries-101.html

...used in authentic Ukrainian grain pudding called Kutya or Kushya...it's very yummy!
http://www.recipezaar.com/Ukrainian-CHRISTMAS-KUTYA-77525

...combined with yogurt and spices for a refreshing COLD Middle-Eastern soup (may have to save this one for summer).
http://almostturkish.blogspot.com/2007/08/cold-wheat-berry-soup-souk-buday-orbas.html

...made into a sweet, vegan, Indian pudding with cardamom and cashews!
http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2008/08/wheat-berry-payasam-vegan-indian.html

(or in this traditional Indian dessert: http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2008/06/godumai-halwa-wheat-halwa-traditional.html)

...baked into a crustless quiche (in which chard or other greens can substitute for the spinach)!
http://www.bakingobsession.com/2009/01/11/three-cheese-and-wheat-berry-spinach-pie/

...puffed (or popped?) in a hot skillet to be combined with other granola ingredients...!
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24848.0

...served with lentils in a hearty salad.
http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.com/2005/08/wheat-berry-lentil-salad.html

...combined with dill (if you have any left!) in this wintery salad with cranberries and pecans.
http://www.cookworm.com/2007/06/22/wheat-berries/

...tossed with apple and ham in another filling meal-sized-salad.
http://www.cookworm.com/2007/06/22/wheat-berries/

...combined with mashed beans, herbs, spices and an egg (or soaked flax seed) to make yummy chewy veggie burger patties...recipe coming soon!


Happy Cooking!

Salmon and wheat berries

I doubt I am alone when I say I used to be flummoxed with what to with wheat berries. And then one weekend I was getting ready to make some and I was out of the grains I usually serve with it. No lentils, no wild rice, but it turns out we had a jar of wheat berries soaking in water in the fridge. (Yeah, we got that far but we didn't know what to do with them next.) So, I looked around the kitchen and gathered up some various CSA veggies and here is what I did.

3/4 to 1 pound salmon fillets
1 c wheat berries
2 carrots, diced
Peppers, green onions, any CSA veggies you think would be good
Olive oil
salt and pepper

Vinaigrette
1/4 c olive oil
1 t grated lemon zest (or orange if you got one from the CSA)
2 T fresh lemon (or orange) juice
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
2 T chopped herbs (tarragon is really good with this)
1 t sea salt
Pepper

In a small jar with a tight fitting lid add the vinaigrette ingredients. Shake vigorously and set aside.

As mentioned in other wheat berry recipes, it is best to soak them overnight. Add them to a pot with a quart of water or so and simmer for an hour and a half. You want them to be tender, but still a bit chewy. We like them best when they are all popped open.

I sauted the veggies in olive oil until they were just getting tender and I cooked my salmon (after rubbing it with olive oil, salt and pepper) for about three minutes on a side in a cast iron skillet. I then mixed my veggies into the wheat berries, added the vinaigrette, and tossed. (A note on the vinaigrette: the amount mentioned here in the recipe is going to lot. You'll probably only use half of it for this recipe and then you can use the rest in something else. It is pretty versatile. ) I served my salmon right on top of the wheat berries and veggies combo. The earthy, nutty flavor of the wheat berries, and the sweetness of the veggies, were perfect with the fish.

Wheat Berry Salad with Citrus, Garbanzos, Toasted Pine Nuts, Feta and Spinach

So, another wheat berry recipe. I can't help it, I really like them! And, at last week's pick-up I noticed the trade box was pretty full of these guys, so I'm assuming CSA peeps are a little unsure on how to cook and eat these delicious morsels. I made a delightful salad the other day and I wanted to share it with all you lovely readers.

Anyway, this is a recipe I modified from Heidi Swanson's cookbook Super Natural Cooking. I added chickpeas for some more protein, subbed I'itoi onion for the shallot, added garlic, and added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil for some color and taste. I also chopped up half an avocado on top because I love avocado on most food, especially salads. The citrus dressing was okay. Her recipe didn't call for white wine vinegar, but it needed a little kick. She had called for some lemon juice in the dressing, but I didn't have one. This salad would probably be great with any simple vinaigrette you had lying around the house.

1 1/2 c. cooked wheat berries

1 c. cooked garbanzo beans (white beans might be nice too)

Citrus Dressing

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange (maybe use grapefruit for an interesting twist)

couple tablespoons of white wine vinegar

1 I'itoi onion, chopped

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove chopped garlic

salt and pepper

3 handfuls spinach

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

sun dried tomatoes, chopped

avocado, chopped

You need to soak wheat berries overnight and cook them for about 90 min. to get them soft enough to eat. I used dried garbanzos, which also need to soak and cook for about 2 hours. You could use canned if you like. I ate the salad with warm wheat berries and beans, but it would be good cold as well. Mix up the dressing. Then, combine the dressing with the wheat berries, beans and the rest of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In hindsight, I had leftovers and probably would have put the dressing on individually so it wouldn't get soggy in the fridge. These would feed about 3-4 as a main dish for lunch.

Heidi Swanson's Wheat Berry Breakfast Bowl

We are on a wheat berry roll here with the recipes! I just got this delightful recipe from 101 Cookbooks in my inbox and it sounded heavenly. Wheat berries for breakfast? Hadn't thought about it until this recipe showed me how good they could be--pears, cranberries and pecans mixed with wheat berries and topped with maple sweetened Greek yogurt. Yum. And sounds hearty and warming for our cold Flagstaff mornings. I haven't made this recipe yet, but wanted to share it with y'all. I'll post more once I cook it up sometime this week.

On another note, has anyone made something yummy with their spaghetti squash from a few weeks ago? Not sure how to prepare it and most recipes I have looked up haven't really piqued my interest. Yet, there the squash sits on my counter, mocking me, and my inability to transform it into food.

Happy Cooking!

Winter Wheat Soup

Winter wheat soup, another epicurious recipe, is a great way to use wheat berries and a lot of other veggies we get from CSA. You can spice it up however you like! I often tear up kale and mix it in, toss in a few cloves of garlic, and use veggie or chicken stock. This soup freezes very well and is perfect when you've got a cold.

• 1 cup (210 g) wheat berries or spelt
• 1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut across into thin slices
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then across into 1/4-inch (.5-cm) slices
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into thin wedges
• 2 large leeks, white part only, split in half lengthwise, washed well, and cut across into thin slices
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) cubes
• 3 medium ribs celery, peeled and cut across into thin slices
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium stockpot, bring the wheat berries and 13 cups (3.25 liters) water to a boil [for added flavor, replace some or all of the water with Garlic Broth ]. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 50 minutes, or until the wheat berries are almost cooked through, but not mushy.

Stir in the carrot, parsnips, turnip, and leeks. Return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato and celery. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

Season with pepper.

Wheat Berry Chili

It was cold, snowy and windy Saturday here in Flagstaff and I definitely had a craving for a thick, yummy and spicy stew. I thought a stew would be a perfect vehicle for the wheat berries we got last week and I was right! They are sweet, earthy and chewy and provide great texture in a vegetarian chili. Wheat berries remind me of barley, and like barley, are a great source of dietary fiber. This recipe makes enough for about 4 hungry people.

Before starting the recipe, I soaked a 1/2 c. of wheat berries in 4 c. of water overnight. I also soaked the pinto, black and kidney beans overnight in enough water to cover by 5 in.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. wheat berries, soaked

1/2 c. black beans, soaked

1/2 c. pinto beans, soaked

1/4 c. kidney beans, soaked

1/2 onion, chopped

1 portobello mushroom, sliced

1 serrano chile pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped

1 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1/2 head spinach, chopped or torn (any winter green would work nicely here)

chile powder

salt to taste

olive oil

For the topping:

sharp cheddar cheese, grated

avocado

cilantro

blue corn chips

To Prepare:

I cooked the wheat berries in the same water I soaked them in. I boiled them on a low flame for about an hour. I kept tasting them to see if they were done. They should taste chewy, but not hard. Drain and set aside. After soaking overnight, I drained the beans and cooked them in about 6 c. of fresh water over a low flame for about 2-2 1/2 hours. Again, taste and check for doneness. If you had a pressure cooker, you could save time here or use canned beans. Once the beans were done cooking, I drained them (reserving the bean water) and left about a cup of their cooking water still in the pot. To this I added the wheat berries and the can of tomatoes. I happened to have some leftover quinoa from the previous night and I threw that in as well. I put this on a low simmer. While that was simmering, I sauteed the onion, serrano, chipotle, garlic, portobello mushroom in some olive oil and salt. When that was done cooking, I added it to the pot of beans. Then I added the spinach. I threw in a little chile powder and some salt to taste. If the stew looks too thick, you could thin it out with some of the reserved bean water. I let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes to let the flavors combine. I served it garnished with grated cheddar cheese, avocado and cilantro. I also added some blue corn tortilla chips for scooping.

This stew definitely satisfied my craving! It was warming, hearty and delicious. I tend to like things spicy, so adjust the flavors to suit your preference.

Welcome!

Greetings to all fellow Flagstaff CSA members! The intention of this blog is to have a forum where information about food is shared. Specifically, the blog will be about the wonderful veggies we receive each week, but it will also be a place to find out about all the local food and sustainability related happenings in our community (and beyond!). Be sure to check out the links to our favorite food blogs for recipes a' plenty and the links to our local food sites. Please post comments and email at flagcsarecipes@gmail.com! This blog is designed with the Flag CSA folks in mind so, if you don't like what you see (or do!), let us know! So, to begin us on our journey...

CSA member Betsy Buford is sharing a recipe for a wheat berry salad. She thought some members might still have some kickin' around the pantry from a few weeks ago. Thanks Betsy!

1 cup hard winter wheatberries
Kosher salt
1 cup finely diced red onion (1 onion)
6 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 scallions, minced, white and green parts
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1 carrot, small diced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the wheatberries and 3 cups of boiling salted water in a saucepan and cook, uncovered, over low heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain.

Saute the red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl, combine the warm wheatberries, sauteed onions, scallions, red bell pepper, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.

Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheatberries to absorb the sauce. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.
(courtesy of foodnetwork.com)