I Dare You To Eat It

Fresh Ingredients

1/2 cup Feta cheese, diced (I like the basil and sun-dried tomato variety)

1/2 cup red onion, minced

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped

1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs, minced (I like parsley, mint, thyme, and basil) plus some for garnish

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Storage Ingredients

3 cups cooked whole wheat berries

1/4 cup roasted red peppers, julienne strips of drained bottled peppers, chopped

1/4 cup peperoncini salad peppers, chopped

1 tablespoon Kalamata black olives, pitted, brine-cured, chopped

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Stir together the wheat berries, Feta, onion, cucumber, roasted pepper, peperoncini, herbs, olives, and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. Mix everything together. Garnish with herbs. Serves 4-6

This recipe comes from Charlene and was adapted from “The Best of Gourmet 1994″. Charlene says that this salad is one of her all-time summer favorites, especially because she grows the fresh herbs in her garden. She also suggested that it might be fun to experiment with adding some marinated artichoke hearts. Nothing says, “you’re worth it” like marinated artichoke hearts!

A couple of nights ago I had a meeting with the Stake Relief Society Presidency and decided to take the Wheat Berry Salad With Dried Apricots, as a little treat.

Not only did everyone enjoy it and help themselves to multiple servings, we decided to serve it to the Stake Presidency, their wives, and the visiting General Authority when our Stake gets reorganized next month.

Here’s our menu:

Grilled Salmon with sour cream dill sauce and diced red onions (oh yea)

Wheat Berry Salad With Dried Apricots (the bright green of the snap peas looks so fresh next to the craisins and apricots)

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with brown sugar and pecans

Hot Homemade Rolls with raspberry freezer jam

Dessert: Laurie’s Famous Grapefruit Sorbet and Lime Butter Thins

See? Doesn’t that sound yummy? You really can use your food storage all the time! The recipe for the salad is posted on the recipe page, under the wheat section, of course. Cooking wheat, like you would rice, and then using it in salads and casseroles is an excellent way to use up wheat that may be…past its baking prime. Besides, man shall not live by bread alone!

(I’m going to try and get some pictures of this salad posted tomorrow. It’s one of my new favorites!)