Wheatberry Summer Salad

Thank you all so much for the kind words, congratulations and positive feedback yesterday! I am still on such a high from the certainty of everything, and for finally being able to share with everyone that we’re moving to Jacksonville and I’m going back to school at UNF!

I have a huge back log of photos on my camera, and plenty of post-its floating around with miscellaneous recipe creations on them. However, before I get to those creations, I had to share this delicious salad I made last night with you. It was delicious, refreshing, filling and I think would be perfect for pot lucks and picnics on holidays like the upcoming Fourth of July!

I started out with the freshness: seeded and chopped cucumber, peaches and cherries. Perfect summery vegetable and fruits!

Wheatberries! I adore the tender chewiness of wheatberries. I feel like in the world of oats and rice, wheatberries are often unnoticed. Not anymore! They shine in this recipe!

Cannellini beans are a favorite of mine, and the super soft texture pairs well with the crisp fruit and chewy wheatberries.

Once I’ve tossed the produce, wheatberries and cannellini beans together, I topped with a basil chiffonade, some shaved parmesan and a balsamic reduction.

Amazing! We had ours last night with some cute little Caesar salads.

Presentation cuteness: take a small head of romaine lettuce and slice it into rounds. Place the rounds on your service vessel and top with whatever you desire! We topped with a little parmesan, some Ceaser vinaigrette and balsamic reduction.

Soooo delicious! I think next time I’d try this with mint instead of basil, I think it’d go great, too! Ross thought cilantro would also be good with it.

I would totally pack this up (minus the parmesan) to take to a beach outing or a family summer picnic affair. It’s a great cross between a fruit salad and a pasta salad, but fun and different enough that it won’t seem like that boring old pasta salad you see at every summer affair.

Let me know if you try it!

Wheatberry Summer Salad Recipe:

• 2 cups seeded and chopped cucumbers
• 2 cups chopped and pitted fruit (I used peaches and cherries)
• 2 cups cooked wheatberries (probably around 2/3 cup uncooked wheatberries?)
• 1 fifteen ounce can of cannellini beans
• salt and pepper to taste
• toppings: parmesan, basil chiffonade, balsamic reduction

Combine the cucumbers, fruit, wheatberries, beans and salt and pepper. Taking a vegetable peeler, shave off thin strips of parmesan cheese on top of the salad. Take about four leaves of basil, roll them up, and quickly slice your knife through them. Sprinkle your basil chiffonade on top, and top with your drizzle of balsamic reduction. To make the reduction, I had originally reduced one cup of balsamic vinegar to 1/4 cup. I didn’t use all of this on the salad, but I keep it in the fridge for an easy gourmet add on to salads, sandwiches, omelets and more.

If you’re bringing this to an event, especially if it’s in the sun, I’d suggest nixing the parmesan and bringing the balsamic reduction on the side to let people top at their own leisure.