Beach-Side Wheat Berry Salad

Today is a special day in the LC household...Audi's 2nd Birthday!  So the birthday boy, ever so slightly intimated, that he should get some pub on the blog for his special day.  Oh, the vanity!



Audi was living in the parking lot of our condo community before the Lawyer and I took him in about a year ago.  Sleeping under cars, by the dumpsters, or in the bushes.  Now he sleeps...







Happy Birthday Lil' Buddy.  Thanks for taking over my apartment!





This week I am happy to welcome Kenzie from A Healthy Purpose a blog very passionate about educating people on eating healthy.  It is an amazing holistic health blog, a treasure trove of solid information and vegan recipes.  Kenzie enjoys a high-vegan, high-raw lifestyle, concentrating on foods that fuel your body and make you feel good. Apart from solid nutritonal advice, Kenzie is a fantastic writer, and a dedicated champion of seasonal foods.



Please check out Kenzie's well-written and educational site.  I guarantee you will learn something every time.



Enjoy...



Hello Lazaro Cooks Readers! If you?re anything like me, the September calendar date has you saying, ?What?!?! Where did the first 3/4 of my year go?? I like to think this is completely natural (and unfair), especially when we?re about to say goodbye to the most beloved season: Summer. Barbecues, waking up to sunshine, days by the pool or on the beach--there really isn?t a better time of year.





So for my post today, I wanted to share a recipe that holds onto Summer, letting it know we just aren?t ready to say goodbye.



What I love most about this dish, is that it sticks to my principles of trying to eat along side the seasons, and appreciating local fare--a concept I know Lazaro is passionate about too.



So while the juicy berries and fresh greens are still in season, but the weather is starting to turn cooler and the kids are rushing back to school, you can jump in the kitchen and make this Wheat Berry Salad: reminiscent of the beach but perfect for packed lunches and making one large dish to last all week.





Beach-Side Wheat Berry Salad: (serves 6-8)



2 cups soft white wheat berries

1/2 head curly kale

1-2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup walnuts

1/4 cup + 1 tsp walnut oil (or other subtle oil)

1/4 cup maple syrup

juice from 1/2 orange

1 tsp salt



1. Cooking wheat berries: Okay, don?t be intimidate. Put you wheat berries in filtered water with a tablespoon of lemon juice for at least an hour, or overnight. This removes phytic acid (found in all grains and seeds) and makes the grain more digestible. Then bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add strained wheat berries, cover, and cook on low for about an hour, or until tender.







2. Wash the Kale*. And chop or rip into very fine pieces. Pour the 1tsp of walnut oil over the greens and coat thoroughly using your hands.







3. Make the Dressing by combining oil, syrup, orange juice, and salt







4. Combine kale, warm** wheatberries, blueberries, walnuts***, and dressing into large bowl, mix, and serve hot or cold.





5. Enjoy!







*If you?re intimidated by kale, use spinach, and don?t bother with the teaspoon of oil



**Adding the hot wheat berries to the salad wilts the kale and brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.



***For an extra smokey, nutty flavor, toast the walnuts on low heat in skilled for about 10 minutes.





Do you see where my inspiration came from?? I really am trying to hold on as long as possible while still eating the colors from the world around us.





Of course, there really is no better way to pay tribute to the beautiful food on our planet than by really relishing in seasonal food and expressing our creativity with great natural ingredients.



I hope the transition to fall finds you all well! And please, stop by my blog, A Healthy Purpose, to continue eating seasonally as fall inevitably finds us.