Three-Grain Salad

This is another great summer salad. The only bad part is that you are cooking the grains for nearly an hour and boy does that heat up your kitchen! I found this in my recipe file - another one patiently waiting to be tried (I'm sure some of those recipes are not too patiently waiting - some have been in there a long time).

I'm not even sure where I got this one from. I photocopied it so I guess I borrowed the book from someone. I have a few other recipes that look similar. If you know the book, please let me know so that I can give credit. It is a spiral-bound book - if that helps at all?

Three-Grain Salad
(Adapted from some recipe book??)

5 1/2 c water
1 c wheat berries
1/3 c brown rice
1/2 c hulled or pearl barley
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/4 c diced carrot
1/4 c diced celery (peeled before diced)
1 medium apple, unpeeled chopped
parsley, chopped

Dressing
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c white balsamic vinegar
2 t Worcestershire sauce
2 T shallots
2 cloves, garlic
salt/pepper

In a large pot, heat water and wheat berries to boiling. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Add brown rice and barley. Cover and cook for about 50 minutes until grains are tender. Check to make sure that all the water has not boiled away at about 40 minutes or so - add more water if necessary.

Meanwhile in a serving bowl, mix remaining ingredients except the apples. To make the dressing, take garlic cloves and smash them with the side of the knife. Add some salt continue mixing until a paste forms. Add to the remaining dressing ingredients. Whisk dressing ingredients together. When grains are tender, mix them in with the other ingredients. Add apples. Pour dressing over salad. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

I have to say I thought this was entirely too much sugar so I held off some at first. In the end, I added all of it. Luckily I made this on a day that was not blistering hot. It is a nice refreshing salad.

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