A nice cool salad for a hot July day, this dish is excellent for potlucks. With sprouted grain for a nutrient upgrade, this is a dish that is richly flavorful, hearty and nourishing without seeming too heavy for summer.
Prepare the wheat berries:
2c. organic wheat berries
1tbs vinegar
6c. water
Place wheat in a large bowl with the vinegar and water, let soak overnight or longer. Rinse twice a day (put a splatter screen on top of the bowl and simply invert it over the sink, then refill). When you can see tiny little sprouts just starting to emerge from the grain, it is ready.
To cook, drain and give the wheat a final rinse. Cook as you would pasta, in a pot of water. Test for doneness and remove from heat before the grains burst open. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Set aside to cool and prepare the rest of the ingredients. Wheat can also be separated into portions and frozen at this point for future use, or dehydrated and ground for sprouted flour.
Dressing:
2c. fresh basil leaves
½ c. your favorite basic olive oil & vinegar dressing (see Favorite Vinaigrette)
¼ c. minced fresh chives
¼ c. finely grated parmesan
2c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ripe avocado
In a blender, process half the dressing and all of basil leaves til smooth. Pour over the cooked cooled wheat , add remaining dressing, chives, parmesan and tomatoes to the bowl and mix. Refrigerate for 2hrs to blend flavors, taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Before serving, dice the avocado and sprinkle over the salad.
Optional: Add ½ c. of chopped pistachios, pine nuts or almonds just before serving
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