Farro and White Wheat Berry Greek Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta

We eat a lot of one-bowl salads/meals.  They are quick to put together and you can add all sorts of grains, vegetables and herbs to vary the mix.

Printer Friendly Copy

Farro and White Wheat Berry Greek Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta

Makes 8 servings

• 1 cup (dry) Farro
• 1 cup (dry) Soft White Wheat Berries
• ½  tsp Sea Salt

Several hours ahead or the night before, soak the farro and wheat berries in a bowl of water, to cover.  Drain, place in saucepan and cover the grains with water, about two inches over the top of the grain.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender but still firm, al denté.  Drain and allow to cool.

Thai Basil fresh from my garden

Heirloom Hillbilly variety Tomatoes from my garden

Fresh Parsley from my patio herb pot

Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
• Juice from one Lemon
• Zest from one Lemon
• 1 TB Oregano, dried
• 4 TB Parsley leaves, rough chop
• 4 TB Basil leaves, rough chop
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp ground Pepper
• 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Set aside while you prepare the salad

Salad:

• 1 red Bell Pepper, diced
• 3 small Persian Cucumbers, diced
• 2 large Tomatoes, diced in large chunks
• ¼ of a large Red Onion, minced
• Cooked Grains
• Feta Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)

Toss all ingredients together in the bowl of Vinaigrette.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.  Keep in mind that tomatoes taste best when room temperature.
 **Add a bit of Feta Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts to each serving.  I forgot to take the photo after I plated.  The crunch of the nuts and the tangy, saltiness of the feta is a perfect addition.

ENJOY!

Marinated Chick Peas with Greek Herbs

 

I cooked up a big batch of Garbanzo (chick peas) beans yesterday. This is how I prepared some of them today.

These would be delicious added to an Antipasto or a Greek Salad. You could replace the Mint with fresh Basil too, but I really like the addition of the Mint.  I used a Bergamot Mint which has citrus undertones.  If you want to grow just one mint, choose this one.  It also makes wonderful tea. 

Marinated Chick Peas with Greek Herbs

Printer Friendly Link  

Serving size: 2/3 cup
Servings: 11

930 grams Chick Peas, cooked (about 5 1/4 cups)

2 Tablespoons Garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons fresh Chives, minced

1/4 cup fresh Mint, rough chop 

1/4 cup fresh Greek Oregano, rough chop

100 gram white or red Onion, sliced thin (1 medium)

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil

8 Tablespoons Balsamic, Apple Cider or Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, pink if you have it

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper

Toss all together and marinate, refrigerated several hours. It gets better as it marinates. I think this could be refrigerated for a week or more and only get better.

Greek Oregano in the Herb Garden

 One tablespoon of the fresh herb packs the same antioxidant punch as a medium-sized apple. Its high concentration of these plant compounds may help prevent cellular damage and reduce the risk of common killers such as cancer, heart disease, and hypertension. Oregano also has antimicrobial qualities. It contains thymol and carvacrol, strong antiseptics used in mouthwashes that inhibit growth of bacteria and fungi.

Fresh Picked Herbs from my Garden

Pretty Mint Flowers, I grow Mint in pots to keep it from taking over my garden.

YUMMY!!
 and it is Healthy Too

Nutritional Data Provided by NutriMirror