Mediterranean Wheat Berry Salad

Have you tried wheat berries yet?!?! I guess I have been living under a rock because I have been missing out on this amazing food! I bought several cups of the wheat berries at Whole Foods back in the fall and they stayed in my cabinet because I was a little confused/intimidated by them. Then last month I stumbled across a vegetarian soup recipe with wheat berries. I tried out the recipe and from that moment on I was hooked! These magnificent little wheat berries swell up when they are cooked, but they retain their shape and have a nice meaty feel. I immediately started thinking about the different dishes I could make with wheat berries. I love a good Mediterranean salad in the spring and summer months, so I thought I would give it a try with wheat berries. I wanted to make something light and fresh for our Community Potluck in March and this dish proved to be perfect! I make variations of this recipe with chickpeas or quinoa.

This is a very easy dish but you want to get the best ingredients possible and allow them to shine through. I get the kalamata olives from the olive bar at Whole Foods and the feta is from a local Eastern European market, they have the best feta and it is reasonably priced.

1 1/2 cups hard red winter wheat berries
3 lemons (zested and juiced)
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar*
1 small shallot Microplaned**
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil

1 English cucumber
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 kalamata olives
1-2 ounces feta cheese

Soak wheat berries in water for 8 hours (make sure you have plenty of water in the pot, they will swell up a lot). Drain water and fill pot with fresh water until the wheat berries are covered. Bring water to a boil; turn down heat and allow to simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. I left mine on while I went to the gym and they cooked a little longer than I would've liked, they were starting to split open a little. While they are cooking make a vinaigrette. In a small bowl combine the next four ingredients; slowly whisk in olive oil. Reserve 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette in another container (this will be used on the vegetables later).

Drain wheat berries and pour the vinaigrette over them while they are still warm, this will allow them to soak up the flavor. I let mine stay in the fridge overnight. Right before serving chop cucumber, tomatoes, and olives. Drizzle reserved vinaigrette vegetables. Mix vegetables in with the wheat berries and top with crumbles feta. I also like to add a touch of cilantro to garnish.

*I picked up an inexpensive bottle of white balsamic vinegar at Trader Joe's. I had been wanting to try this out since it seems to be trendy in the food world currently. At first I assumed it was just a marketing ploy; but after using it I have been made a believer! It has a great taste, a slight sweetness, and of course doesn't color the dish like traditional balsamic. If you don't have white balsamic you could try substituting more lemon juice or another type of vinegar.

**Microplane the shallot, it helps the flavor to evenly distribute throughout the dressing. If you do not have a Microplane make the dressing in a food processor.