Spring Salad With Wheat Berries, Feta, and Herbs

July 5, 2022

Kory Cheshier

Wheat berries are chewy, healthy, and make great one-dish meals perfect for toting on a picnic or to a potluck.

From The Modern Larder: from anchovies to yuzu, a guide to artful and attainable home cooking by Michelle McKenzie.

Ingredients

fine sea salt

1 cup wheat berries or farro

1 teaspoon Banyuls or sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Banyuls or sherry vinegar

fine sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 firm, ripe melon, such as cantaloupe or Charentais, cut into 1-inch pieces

5 small tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 small Persian or Armenian cucumber, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

8 Padron peppers, thinly sliced

3 generous handfuls summer greens, one or a mix of arugula, sunflower sprouts, purslane, mache, or watercress

1/4 cup thinly sliced chives or thinly sliced green onion, white and light-green parts

3cups loosely packed torn or coarsely chopped fresh herbs such as basil, dill, tarragon, flat-leaf parsley, mint, or cilantro

6-8ounces feta cheese, thinly sliced or crumbled

flaky sea salt

Preparation

1. To prepare wheat berries, fill a pot three-quarters full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add generous pinch of salt and add wheat berries. Lower heat and simmer 35-60 minutes; different wheat berries will vary. Drain and return to pot. Off heat, toss still-warm grains with vinegar, another pinch salt, and olive oil. Let cool.

2. To prepare salad, whisk vinegar, 2 pinches salt, and olive oil in large mixing bowl. Gently toss melon, vegetables, and cooled wheat berries in vinaigrette with greens and half the herbs. Turn out salad on wide serving platter and top with feta and remaining herbs.

The salad – without melon, herbs, and cheese – can be cooked and dressed up to 2 days in advance; let come to room temperature before adding the reserved ingredients and serving.