Summer Wheat Berry Salad

Everyone needs to have that go-to-recipe for Sunday evening that they know will be a staple all week.

As side to lunch or dinner, a mid-afternoon snack, or just something you can feel good about grazing between the hours of 12:00am-11:59pm.

For us, it’s this summer wheat berry salad: sprouted whole grain, salty pistachios, sweet cranberries, and a fresh summer feel.

Enjoy.

2 cups hard winter wheat berries

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup shelled pistachios

2 scallions, thinly sliced

4 Tbs olive oil

4 Tbs freshly squeezed orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak wheat berries in water for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the next day.

2. To cook wheat berries, boil 4 cups water, add in wheat berries, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Strain any remaining liquid and remove from heat.

3 . Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

We served ours next to grilled chicken salad that was marinated in buttermilk and tossed with homemade mayonaise and garden veggies. Recipe to come!

With love,

Diane and Kenzie

Ricotta Zucchini Flowers

Summer brings many gifts. One is the creative energy in a kitchen inspired by bushels of fresh vegetables picked daily from the garden.

Another is our precious mother/daughter time, two bodacious blondes relishing in the summer heat and treating ourselves to fantastic 7pm meals.

Here’s the first recipe of our creative cooking blog. This meal will always hold an energy empowered by the excitement of new ideas and adventures.

Enjoy.

12 Zucchini Flowers

Filling: 

1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta (visit the cheese counter, the cheap isn’t worth the time you’ll put into it)

1/2 cup of chopped fresh mozarella

1/2 cup fresh parmesean

1/2 cup fresh herbs: parsley, basil, arugula

1/2 cup pinenuts, finely chopped in food processor

1/4 cup half and half

1 egg, beaten

2 shallots

1 clove garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Frying Batter:

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 scallions, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Tomato Coulis: 

1 small onion

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup basil

1 can plum tomatoes (San Marzano brand)

Directions:

1. Combine flour and water from frying batter and let sit for 1 hour. Add egg, scallions, S&P after one hour and whisk together.

2. Make Tomato Coulis: Saute onions and garlic until golden. Add basil and tomatoes and boil for 20 minutes. Blend until smooth, or desired texture.

3. Combine all the filling ingredients, finely chopped, into a medium sized bowl and whisk together.

4. To prepare the zucchini flowers, first wash delicately. Use a pairing knife to cut open the flower. Remove the yellow stamen by pinching with your fingers. But keep the stem.

5. Add a Tablespoon of filling to flower. Fold the flower together and  twist the orange tops to keep the filling from falling out.

6. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a shallow skillet. The oil should react or “spark” if you throw a few drops of water on it. Dip the stuffed flowers in the batter. Place on the skillet and fry for 3 minutes. Turn over and continue frying another 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and onto a paper towel lined plate to soak up some grease.

7. Serve with Tomato Coulis, salad, and enjoy with friends and family.

With love,

Diane and Kenzie