Portland Sampler

Eating, shopping, & living in a modern Mayberry

  • Home
  • About
    • Who Am I?
    • What Is Portland Sampler?
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Eat Portland / PICNICS AND POTLUCKS – WHEAT BERRY SALAD WITH SALMON, CORN AND TOMATOES

PICNICS AND POTLUCKS – WHEAT BERRY SALAD WITH SALMON, CORN AND TOMATOES

August 8, 2015 by Sarah Kline 3 Comments

Corn, Tomatoes and Spinach for Wheatberry Salad

Maybe it was all those frozen custards. Or egg sandwiches. Or burgers.

Because suddenly the most appealing thing to eat right now is that which incorporates summer’s bumper crop.

Now that my Midwestern vacation is over (and consequently all my clothes are that much tighter), right now I’m just craving salads and lighter foods. Aren’t you?

I’ve noticed that the sun is not as strong overhead as it used to be, and the days are getting noticeably shorter. These feel like strong visual clues — get all that ripe summer produce goodness while you can.

Now.

Corn. Tomatoes. Peaches. Berries. Cucumbers. Basil. It’s all at its best as we slide into mid-August, and I am going to fill up while the getting’s good.

Tomato Varieties from PSU Farmers Market in Portland

A neighbor dropped by these funny looking lemon cucumbers (plus a nubile onion) and that was a great starting point for last night’s dinner. I also grabbed a thick handful of basil from my garden.

Lemon Cucumbers and Basil from Summer Garden

I headed over to Whole Foods to see what looked good to eat alongside.

I came back with a pound of wheat berries, a couple ears of corn, a few pounds of tomatoes, cilantro (the one herb I don’t have in my garden), some lemons, garlic and shallots. I also splurged on a nice piece of salmon; after all that beef and pork in the last two weeks, the lightness and protein punch of seafood was just what I was looking for.

The cherry tomatoes looked particularly beguiling — jeweled little  wonders that squirted naughtily when sliced.

image

Wheat berries are delicious — nutty, substantial, and play well with others — and they are packed with protein, iron and fiber. They’re substantial enough that they can hold their own with almost any addition and they’re filling enough that they are terrific to bring to picnics or potlucks.

(Really, haven’t you been potluck pasta salad-ed to death by this time of the year?)

They also take almost an hour to cook so I started them off as soon as I got home.

I cooked the shallots and garlic in a little olive oil until just barely golden and then de-glazed with Champagne vinegar.

Vinaigrette done.

image

Not much left to do. I took the kernels off the corn, halved the tomatoes, peeled and cut the cucumbers and grabbed the feta and fresh spinach from the fridge.

Wheatberry Salad with Tomatoes, Corn, and Cucumbers

I had a big, gorgeous lemon in the fridge so I zested and juiced that and added that in, too.

The large fillet of salmon took only fifteen minutes to roast in the 450 degree oven and I set that aside.

Go time.

Wheatberry Salad with Corn, Tomatoes and Cucumber

The corn kernels were so sweet and fresh tasting that I let only the warmth of the cooked wheat berries soften them.

(God I love fresh corn, and that and fresh tomatoes are what I am going to miss most come October.)

My husband and I loved the end result.

We spooned chunks of the lemony, garlicky salmon into the warm salad and in every bite there seemed to be a new surprise: the pop of a fresh corn kernel, the crispness of baby spinach and cucumber, the tang of feta, the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Summer eating can be a see-saw; the richness of frozen confections and heavy grilled meats balanced by the lightness of ripe fresh fruit and light salads dressed with zesty viniagrettes.

After my Wisconsin blow-out, the latter sounds just about right.

Salmon with Wheatberries, Feta, Cucumbers and Tomatoes

WHEAT BERRY SALAD WITH CORN AND TOMATOES
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 15 mins
 
Author: Sarah Kline
Recipe type: hearty salad
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. dried wheat berries (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • about ¼ C. olive oil
  • ¼ C. champagne, rice wine or white wine vinegar
  • 1 lb. ripe tomatoes (I like cherry tomatoes as they keep their shape but any tasty tomato will do), halved or cut into manageable cubes
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into bit-sized pieces
  • 3 or 4 ears of corn, kernels cut off cobs
  • ½ C. cilantro or basil (or combination of both), roughly chopped
  • 1½ C. spinach
  • juice and zest of 1 large lemon
  • Optional Toppings: grilled salmon or Andouille sausages, feta
Instructions
  1. Put quinoa in pot large enough to accommodate an additional 5 cups of water.
  2. Add cumin and large pinch salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until wheat berries are al dente but not too hard; I like them with the slightest bit of tender under a considerable chew.
  3. While the wheat berries are cooking, prepare the vinaigrette. Add oil, shallots and garlic to pan, and saute until just golden. Deglaze with vinegar and set aside.
  4. Put all other ingredients in a bowl, and salt and pepper liberally.
  5. If there is any water left in the pan, strain off water and add warm wheat berries to bowl of ingredients. Add lemon zest and juice and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
  6. If desired, top with grilled salmon, sausages, tofu or feta.
3.2.2925
 

Filed Under: Eat Portland, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian Tagged With: potlucks, salads, salmon

« LAKE HOUSE VACATION, THE END GAME
WICKED IN PORTLAND — AND THE CASE FOR THE WIZARD OF OZ »

Comments

  1. Kathy Hill says

    August 9, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    What a delicious light dinner of quinoa, wheat berries, corn, tomatoes,spinach , and salmon. I am wishing I were in Portland with all the fresh produce available!

    Reply
  2. chrissy clark says

    August 10, 2015 at 5:44 pm

    Must make!! This is what I’m making for dinner tonight!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Farmers Market – A Hearty Journey says:
    September 21, 2016 at 9:45 pm

    […] Wheat Berry Salad – Inspired by Portland Sampler  1 hour cook time // 15 minute prep […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Me!

Who Am I?

Hi, I'm Sarah Kline. Former cook at Greens. Restaurant reviewer and food columnist for San Francisco Examiner. Copywriter/recipe writer for Williams Sonoma. Private cooking teacher.  Flash forward.  -> Read More

What Is Portland Sampler?

Portland Sampler is my ongoing love letter to a city that I never get tired of discovering. -> Read More

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Categories

Archives

Latest Recipes

Lemon WHite Chocolate Chip Cookies

SEATTLE, STAYCATION AND LEMON WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

See More

Recent Posts

David
Porter and Oliver
neighbor's hydrangeas
BLT sandwich
beach house vacation
Porter with animal
donations and drop offs
Cleaning Groceries
Pasta with Pork Meatballs
Alison Roman the stew garbanzo chickpea turmeric NYT
Coffee Cake Crumb Muffins
Vintage Valentine Kitchen
caramel pot de creme
Candy Gingerbread House

Tags

art supplies bakery bins butternut cake cheap eats chicken chicken wings cocktails cookies dessert dogs doughnuts eat fabric farmers market finds food cart frittata Goodwill grocery MOW outings parks pasta picnics pizza pork potlucks recipes restaurants salad salads salmon sandwich sandwiches SCRAP soup squash steak stockings thrift vacation vintage vintage holiday

Connect With Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Recent Posts

  • HEARTBREAK
  • DOWNS AND UPS
  • CHASING SMALL JOYS
  • GIRL’S GETAWAY: CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Copyright © 2022 · Portland Sampler