2⁄3 cup wheat berries, preferably hard red wheat berries
1 celery stalk, minced
1 can (7 ounces) Italian-style tuna packed in olive oil
8 large pitted green olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
Up to 1½ tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
Up to 1½ tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, quartered
1 jarred or tinned anchovy fillet
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1. Soak the wheat berries in a big bowl of cool water for at least 8 and up to 16 hours. Drain them in a fine-mesh sieve or small-holed colander set in the sink. Pour them into a large saucepan, cover with water by several inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain again in that sieve or colander, then run under cool water until the wheat berries are at room temperature. Drain thoroughly.
2. Pour those cooked wheat berries into a large serving bowl. Stir in the celery. Drain the tuna and crumble it into the bowl as well.
3. Mince together the olives, capers, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, and anchovy fillet on a cutting board by repeatedly rocking a large, heavy knife through the mixture, rotating the knife this way and that, scraping the mess together, and rocking the knife again and again until it’s a grainy, coarse amalgam. Scrape this aromatic paste into a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
4. Pour the olive oil dressing into the bowl with the wheat berries. Toss gently to avoid breaking the tuna into shards but also thoroughly to make sure everything’s well combined.
SERVES 2 (can be doubled or tripled)
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus soaking the wheat berries for at least 8 hours
Make ahead: Store, covered, in the fridge for 1 or 2 days.
Save time: Use 2 cups cooked hard red wheat berries and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.
GRAIN SWAPS
TESTERS’ NOTES