½ cup wheat berries, preferably hard red wheat berries
1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced or put through a garlic press
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 large thin flatbreads, lefse, whole wheat tortillas, or other breadish vehicles suitable for a wrap sandwich
About 1½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 large tomato, very thinly sliced
1 Hass avocado, thinly sliced
Up to 8 pickled jalapeño rings (optional)
Up to 1 cup radish, sunflower, or other sprouts (optional)
1. Soak the wheat berries in a big bowl of cool water for at least 8 and up to 16 hours. Drain the wheat berries in a fine-mesh sieve or small-holed colander set in the sink. Pour the grains 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 but with a little chew, about 1 hour. Drain thoroughly in that sieve or colander, shaking the sieve or colander to get rid of excess moisture.
2. Place the cooked wheat berries in a large food processor. Add the black-eyed peas, lemon juice, tahini, oil, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Process until fairly pasty, scraping down the inside of the bowl once or twice to make sure all the wheat berries take a death spiral. The mixture won’t get as smooth as hummus, but close.
3. To make a wrap, lay a flatbread or tortilla on your work surface, then spread it with a rounded ½ cup of the wheat berry puree. Top with some lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado, as well as jalapeño rings and sprouts (if using). Roll it up and dig in!
SERVES 4
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus soaking the wheat berries for at least 8 hours
Make ahead: Scrape the wheat berry puree into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Save time: Use 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons cooked wheat berries and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.
CHEF IT UP!
TESTERS’ NOTES