Grains with Pecans and Radishes

Or, Sherry Vinegar, where have you been all my life?

The original recipe for this had way too many ingredients. It tasted fine, but things were getting lost. Here's a streamlined version that takes advantage of the slow cooker for the grains. I don't know about you, but if I put something on the stove for more than 45minutes, I'm likely to forget all about it, leave the house, and come back later to a house that smells like burned beans. And stays that way for two weeks. All hypothetical, you understand.

In any case, enjoy.

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Radish and Pecan Grain Salad

INGREDIENTS:

- 1-2 cups cooked mixed grains (like farro, freekah, wheat berries, wild rice, and quinoa, pearl barley, or any combination of the above)

- 1/2 c mint leaves, cut in a chiffonade

- 1/2 lb. pecans

- 1/4 c walnut oil

- 1/4 c sherry vinegar

- 1 c radishes, sliced thin

- 1/4 c olive oil

- 1/2 c dried cranberries

METHOD:

I like to cook the grains in the slow cooker. I admit I've never made freekah and I hate quinoa, so I'll let you figure out how to cook those. I have tested the barley and wheatberries in the slow cooker. I haven't yet tried the wild rice or farro. I'll let you know when I get to that. Better yet, if you try it, let me know! Obviously there are other ways to cook grains -- the important thing for this recipe is to cook them.

Barley or Farro: 2.5 c. boiling water, 1 c. pearl barley, 1/2 t. salt. Cook on high 1 hr. and 30 minutes.

Wheatberries: 1 c. hard winter wheatberries, 3 c. water, 1/2 t. salt. Cook on low 8 hours.

Wild Rice: 2 1/4 c. water, 1 c. wild rice, 1/2 t. salt, cook on low 4-5 hours.

Drain the grains into a colander, then set aside until warm to the touch.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Season with salt to taste.

SERVINGS: 8

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Green Bean Salad

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Green Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 T. red wine vinegar

- 2 T. sugar

- 3 T. olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 t. table salt

- Ground black pepper

- 8 oz. green beans, cut into 1-inch-long pieces

- cherry tomatoes, optional

- 1/4 c sliced almonds

METHOD:

Heat vinegar, sugar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in small nonreactive skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large nonreactive bowl and cool to room temperature. In the same small skillet, heat the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook until garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then combine with the vinegar mixture.

Blanch the green beans. (Boil a pot of water with enough salt to taste like sweat. Cook the green beans for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pot and put in a bowl of ice water until they're cool. Drain.)

Toss the green beans with the dressing, garnish with almonds and halved cherry tomatoes.

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Carrot & Peanut Salad

I love carrots, but they can get a little old. I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it. The original is Nigella Lawson's, and you can find it here. I don't see the point of making a salad with a measly 4 carrots, so I used a whole pound and upped the other ingredients.

1 lb. carrots, peeled

1 c. salted peanuts

4 T. red wine vinegar

4 T. peanut oil

1/2 t. sesame oil

Grate the carrots with the big grater wheel on the food processor. Toss them in a bowl with the peanuts. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and oils. Toss them with the carrots and you're done!

Escarole Salad

Mark Bittman came to me in a dream and told me about this salad. Okay, it was the New York Times. And while the salad he describes is probably delicious, I couldn't find the ingredients at my usual stores, so I improvised. The results were delicious. I liked it so much the first night that I started making it the second night, only to realize we'd run out of grapes. I used blueberries instead, and it was delicious that way, too. I might try strawberries next week. Or grape tomatoes.

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Escarole Salad with Almond Vinaigrette & Grapes

INGREDIENTS:

- escarole

- 2 c. grapes, halved

- 3/4 c. sliced almonds

- 1/3 c. almond oil

- 2 T. sherry vinegar

METHOD:

Toss escarole with 2 cups halved grapes, 3/4 cup sliced almonds. Combine vinegar and oil and toss with salad. Salt and pepper to taste.

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