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Summer Rye Berry Salad

Prep Time:  15 minutes

     Cook Time:  1 hour

     Serves:  4

If you want to use a local grain, there’s no better place to explore than Meadowlark Community Mill’s website. These New York City chefs turned farmers are producing an array of flour, dried beans and berries on their organic farm outside Ridgeway. Berries are the hulled, whole kernel form of wheat, rye or spelt and they make a great, toothsome grain salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rye berries
  • 4 cups water
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 2–3 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ cup basil leaves, torn

Directions

  1. Combine the rye berries and water in a medium pot. Swish the berries around and remove any that float or are off-color. Add a pinch of salt, then bring to a boil. Once the water’s boiling, reduce to a low simmer, and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 45–60 minutes. (Some of the berries should have burst, and they'll be tender with a little chew.) Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook gently over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent and tender. Turn off the heat. Add the cucumbers and sweet corn kernels and stir to warm through.
  3. In a small bowl or jar, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the lemon juice, sesame oil, soy sauce and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk or shake the mixture to emulsify.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the rye berries and vegetables. Stir in about half the dressing, and taste the salad. There should be a balance of sweetness from the corn and cucumbers, and umami from the dressing and rye berries. Add more dressing if necessary. Top with torn basil.

Notes

Suggestions If the salad is stored in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature before serving. Also, the rye berries will absorb the dressing over time, so it is good to have a little leftover dressing on hand.