Recipes of the Week - October 6th

Wheat Berry Salad with Red Fruit from www.EatingWell.com

If you're looking for a recipe to turn your friends and family into wheat-berry fans, this is the one. The sweet and tart combination of raspberry vinegar, cranberries and apple is sure to please. Serve over lettuce for lunch or a light supper.

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/3 cup dried cranberries 3 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (recipe follows) 1 large Fuji apple, unpeeled, diced 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted (see Tip) and coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine orange juice and cranberries in a small bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes. Combine wheat berries, apple and pecans in a large bowl; stir gently. Drain the cranberries, reserving the juice. Stir the cranberries into the wheat berry mixture. Whisk the reserved orange juice, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and stir gently to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature. To toast pecans, spread nuts onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

 Preparing Wheat Berries: from www.EatingWell.com

Contrary to popular belief, wheat berries do not require an overnight soak before cooking. Simply boil them for 1 hour to soften the kernels, which will produce their characteristically chewy texture.

• 2 cups hard red winter-wheat berries 7 cups cold water 1 teaspoon salt

Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones. Rinse well under cool running water. Place in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. To serve hot, use immediately.

Wheat Berry Tabbouleh http://busycooks.about.com/od/maindishvegetariansalads/r/wheatberrytabbo.htm?p=1  

This hearty main dish salad recipe is vegetarian; serve on a hot summer day to family or company.

• 1 cup wheat berries 14 oz. can ready to serve vegetable broth 1/4 cup water 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup sliced green onions 1 Tbsp. chopped mint 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. salt dash white pepper lettuce or baby spinach leaves

Combine wheat berries, vegetable broth and water in heavy saucepan and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until berries are tender. Drain if necessary.

In large bowl combine cooked wheat berries, mushrooms, tomato, cucumber, green bell pepper, parsley, green onions and mint. In small jar with screw top lid place oil, lemon juice and salt and shake well until combined. Pour over wheat berry mixture and toss. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve on lettuce or baby spinach leaves, accompanied by pita chips. Serves 4

Baked Green Tomatoes:

Quarter the tomatoes and place in a shallow baking dish with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Bake at 375º F for 20-25 minutes. Quicker and tastier than “fried green tomatoes”!

Fried Green Tomatoes  

• 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1 c. all-purpose flour 4-6 med. green tomatoes,sliced ½ “ thick 1 egg, beaten     1/4 c. milk 1 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs 3 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. cooking oil

Combine sugar and flour; place on a shallow plate. Dip both sides of each tomato slice into mixture. Combine the egg and milk. Dip each tomato slice; then dip into the bread crumbs.  In a skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high. Fry tomatoes until brown on both sides but firm enough to hold their shape. Yield about 6 servings.