Wheat Berry Salad & Contest Giveaway!

 Last weekend I was tasked with bringing side dishes for my friend’s bbq (my other side dish: crunchy asian slaw) and wanting to continue my trend of trying something new, I figured this was the perfect chance to test out Bob’s Red Mill Hard Red Wheat Berries that they so graciously sent to me! Last month, I met some reps from Bob’s Red Mill at the BlogHer ’11 Food Conference, which I attended for work, but had the added benefit of me being able to pick up some ideas, tips, etc. for this blog. Score me! Having mentioned that I’ve never cooked with wheat berries, I was happily surprised when I received a package a few weeks later with two large bags of Bob’s Red Mill Hard Red Wheat Berries! In case you don’t know wheat berries are kernels of wheat with a protein content of 15% or better. These berries can be cooked as a cereal, added to salad for extra crunch and protein or milled into flour.

So after flipping through my cookbooks, I settled on a wheat berry salad recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. The end result? a delicious, different and very popular side dish! The best part about this salad is that you can customize it to your tastes or what you have in your pantry or fridge. Next time, I’ll making it with some combination of dried cranberries, edamame, celery and/or some feta!

So for my first contest (and to see if I can get people to comment more!), I’m giving away a 2lb bag of Bob’s Red Mill Hard Red Wheat Berries!  In the comments tell me your favorite wheat berry recipe or what you would put in this recipe if you were making it or your favorite Bob’s Red Mill product. I will find a random number generator app to figure out how to pick a winner! Then if you’re the lucky winner all you have to do is wait for the mail to arrive with your wheat berries! Contest ends on Monday, June 27th!

Serves 6 (I tripled the recipe since I was cooking for a party)

Original recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/wheatberry-salad-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• hard winter wheat berries (1 cup)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• red onion (1 cup, finely diced)
• balsamic vinegar (2 tablespoons)
• scallions (3, minced, white and green parts)
• red bell pepper (1/2 small, diced)
• carrot (1 small, diced)
• olive oil (6 tablespoons)

Directions
Cook the wheat berries according to the directions on the package (or place them in boiling water and cook until they are soft, about 50 minutes). Drain.

Surprise package!

Uncooked wheat berries

and cooked wheat berries

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.

mmmmm balsamic makes so many things taste better

 In a large bowl, combine the warm wheat berries, sauteed onions, scallions, red bell pepper, carrot. Season with a little salt and the pepper.

Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheat berries to absorb the sauce. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.

 

Another great part about this recipe is that you can package up any leftovers for a quick lunch!