spring salad

here's a fresh, hearty side dish that we served along side the pineapple glazed ham at urban family easter this year. wheat berries are a fairly new grain to us but we just love the nutty taste and find them very similar to farro. the addition of tender young asparagus, fresh pea shoots and chopped mint screams spring and is a testament to the beautiful greens at farmer's market this month. we used this pesto recipe from a past post but decided to replace the parsley with basil for a more traditional flavor. enjoy!

Spring Wheat Berry Salad with Spinach Pesto

serves 8

2 cups wheat berries

2 leeks, white & light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces & blanched

1 cup chopped pea shoots

1/4 cup chopped mint

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup spinach pesto (see recipe here)

2-4 tbs olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

3 oz crumbled goat cheese

in a large pot, combine wheat berries with 4 cups water and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and cook until tender but left with a little chewiness, about 1 hour. drain well and set aside. meanwhile, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a saute pan and saute leeks until translucent and softened, about 8 minutes. in a large bowl, combine wheat berries with leeks, asparagus, pea shoots, mint, lemon juice and pesto and toss to coat. add extra olive to loosen the pesto if it is too thick and season with salt and pepper to taste. serve at room temperature and garnish with crumbled goat cheese.

fast food

all of the sudden the mint growing in a box on our patio is looking extra green and healthy. i never think of using mint in savory dishes and tend to just make a big batch of mojitos when i have too much. this is a quick and easy recipe that's actually healthy and makes use of a little mint too! if you can't find sumac in the spice section of your local market, you can always order it from penzy but definitely don't leave it out! one of my first encounters with this spice was when i styled this recipe for a bon appetit shoot. it adds a wonderful fresh lemony flavor to many middle eastern dishes and is definitely worth adding to your spice collection.

Couscous with Minted Yogurt

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 lemon, juiced

2 tbs mint, chopped plus leaves for garnish

1 cup whole wheat couscous

3 carrots, peeled & chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

1 tsp sumac

2 tbs olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

in a small bowl, combine yogurt, 1 tbs lemon juice and chopped mint. mix well and set aside. bring 1 cup water to a boil with a pinch of salt. remove from heat and add couscous. stir well, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. meanwhile, steam carrots and zucchini until tender. uncover couscous and fluff with a fork. in a mixing bowl, combine couscous with steamed vegetables, beans, sumac, olive oil, 1 tbs lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. serve with minted yogurt and garnish with a few mint leaves. enjoy!

simple pleasures

a bowl of granola for breakfast is one of life's simple pleasures. it's one of those things that seems to cost way too much at the market and then you remember just how easy it is to make at home. making it also allows you to clean out your pantry of the various fruit and nut bags that are slowly taking over. as with many of our recipes, feel free to use a combination of whatever you have on hand or whatever flavors you like best. but don't leave out the pepitas! they are roasted & salted pumpkin seeds and are a beautiful green color - they add a delicious sweet & salty element to this granola. whether you like a big bowl filled with milk or a little granola with yogurt and honey, we hope you enjoy some soon.

Granola with Pepitas & Dried Fruit

1 cup whole raw almonds

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cups salted & roasted pepitas

1 cup dried figs, chopped

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

preheat oven to 375 degrees F. roast almonds on a sheet pan for 10-12 minutes or until fragrant and lightly colored. let cool, coarsely chop and set aside. reduce oven to 300 degrees F. on a sheet pan, toss oats with honey and oil and spread into a thin layer. bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring halfway during baking. let cool slightly. in a large bowl, combine chopped almonds, toasted oats and remaining ingredients. store at room temperature in an airtight container.

herbs & nuts

i'm not exactly sure if pesto has to be made with basil & pine nuts to be called pesto but you can really make it with all kinds of other herb & nut combinations and it's equally as amazing. for this recipe i didn't have quite enough spinach so i threw in a little parsley too. one of my favorite vessels for pesto is farro (a nutty italian grain) - try it with pesto and roasted butternut squash! here are two recipes from the photo - pesto farro and a really easy yogurt sauce that's perfect on salmon. enjoy!

Farro with Spinach Pesto

1 cup spinach

1 cup parsley

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted & cooled

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb farro

3 cups chicken broth

in a food processor, combine spinach, parsley, garlic, cheese, lemon and walnuts. pulse a few times and then slowly add oil while running. cook farro with chicken broth and 2 cups of water, simmering for 20 minutes. toss warm farro with desired amount of pesto.

Yogurt & Dill Sauce

1 cup greek yogurt

3 tbs dill, chopped

2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

combine all ingredients and serve with baked, grilled or pan fried salmon.