1 cup wheat berries, preferably hard red wheat berries
12 dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
½ cup pitted oil-cured black olives, chopped
1 tablespoon minced shallot
4 ounces feta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill fronds or ½ teaspoon dried dillweed
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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 the sieve or colander, then run under cool water until the wheat berries are room temperature. Drain thoroughly.
2. Pour the cooked wheat berries into a large serving bowl. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and shallot. Crumble in the feta.
3. Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour into the bowl with the wheat berries; stir and toss to coat.
SERVES 4
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus soaking the wheat berries for at least 8 hours
Make ahead: Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Save time: Use 23⁄4 cups cooked hard red winter wheat berries and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.
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