Warm Barley Salad with Roasted Vegetables

Chewy, nutty barley combines with colorful vegetables and a sweet-tart vinaigrette in this hearty, nutrient-rich salad.  Blanching broccoli rabe subdues its natural bitterness,  while roasting brings out the sweetness of winter squash and cauliflower.  Festive and flavorful, this salad keeps and reheats well, making it a perfect make-ahead dish for a brown-bag lunch or holiday gathering.

Warm barley salad with roasted vegetables

Yield:  Makes about 14 cups, serving about 8

1 1/3 c. pearl barley

About 1/2 c. olive oil, divided

1 head cauliflower, cored and broken into bite-sized florets

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4″ pieces

1 large bunch broccoli rabe, stems cut into 2-inch lengths, tops roughly chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

8 sun-dried tomatoes, plumped in boiling water, drained, then thinly sliced

1 handful fresh, flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground, black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Bring one quart of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add barley and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until barley is tender but still chewy, about 25 minutes.  Drain well of any excess water.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Line two large baking sheets with foil.  Toss cauliflower florets with about 2 tbsp. olive oil and spread in a single layer on one baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss squash with 2 more tbsp. oil, arrange on other baking sheet, and season.  Bake until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Add vegetables to barley in mixing bowl.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, season generously with salt, and add broccoli rabe stems.  Cook two minutes, then add tops and cook a minute or two longer, until tender.  Drain, then shock under cold running tap water to stop cooking and set color.   Squeeze broccoli rabe to remove excess moisture, then add to mixing bowl.

Whisk together remaining 1/4 c. olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt until emulsified.  Add red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, and vinaigrette to mixing bowl and toss to combine.  Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.  Serve warm.

Salad keeps well in the fridge for about four days.

 

Kale Slaw with Toasted Sunflower Seed Dressing

There are leafy greens aplenty at the farmers’ markets these days.  It’s a little surprising — I’ve always thought of kale, collards, and the like as cool weather crops, and cook them accordingly (that is, low and slow, with lots of bacon).  I suppose the unusually comfortable July we in the northeast enjoyed this year has something to do with the extended harvest.  Thanks, July!

Of course, now it’s August, and it’s swelteringly hot and humid, and — much as I love bacon — I am not in the mood to braise anything.  My mom made a raw kale slaw with carrots and peanuts recently (from the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, I believe) and raved about it (high praise indeed since, like daughter, Mom also likes a little kale with her bacon).  It did sound interesting, so I figured I’d try a nut-free version with the enormous bundle of curly kale I’d bought just before the weather turned on me.

Thank goodness for the heat wave, because the salad is a delicious discovery!  The key to working with raw kale is to slice or chop it as finely as possible, so it’s not tough to chew, and dress it with enough fat and acid (sunflower seeds and lemon juice work nicely) to balance its natural bitterness.  I used raw sunflower seeds, toasted in a skillet, rather than the roasted, salted variety because the latter is invariably roasted in peanut oil.  If nuts are not an issue in your family, you could substitute roasted seeds for raw and skip the toasting step; the dressing will not need added salt and may not need as much oil.

Kale slaw with toasted sunflower seed dressing

Yield:  Makes about 3 quarts

For dressing:

1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds

Scant 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 small lemon (about 3 tbsp.)

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. water

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

For slaw:

1 hefty bunch kale

1/2 small head red cabbage

Fine sea salt

1 red bell pepper, cored and diced

Make dressing:

Toast sunflower seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, tossing or stirring occasionally until they start to color, then often until they are nicely browned and fragrant.  Be patient:  it may take up to 10 minutes to turn the greyish, bland seeds crunchy, nutty, and brown.  Transfer toasted seeds to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

Combine toasted seeds, oil, lemon juice, honey, water, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.  Add a bit more water if dressing is too thick.

Make slaw:

Wash kale and pat dry.  Remove ribs from leaves and discard.  Stack leaves on a large cutting board and, using a large, sharp knife, cut into the thinnest strips possible.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Core cabbage and cut into four wedges.  Thinly slice each wedge, crosswise.  Add to mixing bowl.

Sprinkle kale and cabbage lightly with salt.  Using your hands, work salt into vegetables.  The kale will soften, release a bit of water, and reduce in volume.  Toss with diced red pepper and dressing.  Adjust seasoning as needed.

Kale slaw will last a few days in the fridge, though I like it best the day it’s made.  Serve at room temperature or chilled (but not cold).

For fall, I think a diced apple or two and a handful of currants in place of the red pepper would be lovely.

 

Quinoa Salad with Peas, Grapes, and Feta

Cook a grain.  Chop some vegetables.  Add beans, fruit, and/or cheese.  Toss with fresh herbs and vinaigrette.  This quinoa salad is but one variation on theme I repeat over and over all summer long (see here and here), one that yields and endless supply of packable, weekday lunches or easy, warm weather dinners (just add something from the grill).

Chewy, nutty quinoa is my all-time favorite grain for salads, but bulgur, couscous, brown rice, and barley are all good, too.  Practically any vegetable is fair game — some need to be cooked first (grill or roast squash and eggplant, steam asparagus and peas), others are fine raw (celery, cucumbers), a few can go either way (tomatoes, peppers).  Grapes, peaches, nectarines, pineapples, mangos, even strawberries and blueberries add color and sweetness, while crumbly cheeses like feta, goat, and ricotta salata add savory depth.  Poached or grilled chicken or shrimp can replace beans.  Anything goes, really, as long as you balance colors and textures, and pick a vinaigrette that suits your other flavors: delicate vegetables, like cucumbers and peas, pair well with mild vinegars like champagne and rice;  eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes can stand up to bolder red and white wine vinegars.

Quinoa salad with peas, grapes, and feta

Yield:  Makes about 6 cups

1 c. sugar snap peas, trimmed

1/2 c. shelled English peas

2 heaping cups cooked quinoa (drained and cooled)

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (organic varieties usually have better texture, if you can find them)

1 c. red grapes, halved

4 oz. good-quality feta cheese, crumbled

6 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp. champagne vinegar (or use white wine), or more to taste

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a kettle or medium saucepan of water to a boil.  Place snap peas and English peas in a colander in the sink, and slowly pour the boiling water over them.  (Alternatively, you can blanch the peas in a saucepan of boiling, salted water for a minute or two, but if your peas are really fresh they need only a quick dousing to brighten their color.)  Immediately shock the peas under cold tap water, then set aside to drain.

Toss all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Adjust oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper as needed.  Salad keeps well in the fridge for at least 3 days.  Serve at room temperature.

 

Cauliflower Salad with Olives and Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Can you dedicate a salad like you can a song?  If so, this one goes out to my friend Jill, who loves her veggies and appreciates pungent flavors (I have known her to knock back sun-dried tomatoes like you might a handful of raisins).  In this recipe, raw cauliflower stands up to a potent vinaigrette without losing its crunch, making a salad that keeps and travels well.  Great with a sandwich (think tuna or egg salad, or turkey and mild cheese) in a brown-bagged lunch, or for dinner with a simple roast salmon or gratin of greens and cheese.

Cauliflower salad with olives and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette

Yield:  A LOT, but you can easily halve the recipe.

For vinaigrette (adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone):

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

6 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1/4 to 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For salad:

1 large head cauliflower

4 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 handful black olives, pitted and thinly sliced

1 handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Make vinaigrette:

Combine shallots, garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, and vinegars in a mixing bowl and let sit 15 minutes.  In a separate, heat-proof bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes and enough boiling water to cover and let sit until tomatoes are plumped and soft.

Drain tomatoes in a fine-meshed sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to remove excess moisture.  Add tomatoes to vinegar mixture, then drizzle in 1/4 c. oil, whisking to emulsify.

Assemble salad:

While tomatoes steep, quarter and core cauliflower.  Break into large florets, then thinly slice (some cauliflowers are more crumbly than others —  this is fine).  Toss cauliflower with scallions, olives, parsley, and vinaigrette in a large mixing bowl.  Add an additional drizzle of olive oil or sprinkling of salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve at room temperature.

 

Farro and Grilled Vegetable Salad

I tend to cook big.  Feeding a family of four — even when two of the four are very little — is no small undertaking.  In our case, work-from-home jobs and food allergies team up to ensure that we eat the vast majority of our meals at the kitchen table (or out of a brown bag).  So I like to cook things that last a while, that are as good for lunch as they are for dinner (the number of bean and veggie chili burritos we’ve eaten in the past few months could feed a small army for a year at least), and that please everyone at the table (always a challenge with the “I don’t like my spaghetti ‘dirty’ ” crowd).

Our kids like grains.  Rice, couscous, barley — you name it, they’ll eat it.  They like vegetables, too, often enough, but never, NEVER, when they’re touching other parts of the meal (though our four-year-old is slowly growing out of this — the first time he took a bite of a burrito and without thinking said, “mmm!” I nearly fell out of my chair.).  I don’t understand it, but I accept it, for now.  It’s easy enough to indulge.  Cook a grain, cook some vegetables (maybe leave some raw).  For the more adventurous eaters, combine them.  Keep them separate for the faint-at-heart.

This recipe doesn’t sound like something kids would like, but it’s really very accommodating.  If you can’t find farro, try pearl barley or Israeli couscous.  Don’t love zucchini?  How about asparagus, eggplant, or portobello mushrooms instead?  Maybe add some peas, corn, or cherry tomatoes.  Don’t have a grill?  Roast your veg instead.  Can’t fathom a meal without protein?  Toss in a few grilled shrimp or some cheese (anything from fontina to feta would be good).  The only requisite ingredients are fresh herbs, a big, fat lemon, and some good oil and vinegar to dress things up.

Farro and grilled vegetable salad

Yield:  About 12 cups.

2 1/2 c. farro

4 red peppers, cored and quartered

3 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 3/4″ slices

3 summer squash, cut lengthwise into3/4″ slices

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small red onion, chopped fine

Two handfuls fresh herbs (I like a combination of basil, mint, and parsley), finely chopped

Juice of one large lemon

White wine vinegar, to taste

Soak farro in cold water for 30 minutes (while you prep the vegetables).  Drain.  Transfer to a medium saucepan, add fresh water to cover by about 2 inches, and season with a generous pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until farro is tender, about 20 minutes.  Pour into a colander, then run farro under cold water to stop the cooking.  Set aside to drain.

While farro cooks, heat the grill.  Toss vegetables with just enough olive oil to coat, season with salt, and arrange on the grill rack, placing the peppers skin-side down over the hottest part and the squash over the cooler parts.  Cook peppers until skins are black and blistered, then transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic (this steams the peppers, making the skins easier to remove).  Cook squash until browned and softened but not mushy or falling apart.

When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off and discard blackened skins and cut peppers crosswise into strips.  Cut squash into bite-sized pieces.  Combine farro, peppers, squash, red onion, herbs, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Salad keeps nicely for a few days in the fridge.  Serve at room temperature.

Make it wheat-free: Barley is a good substitute for farro in this recipe.  There’s no need to soak it first.

 

Quinoa and Cucumber Salad

A little bit like tabbouleh, but with a lot less chopping, this pared-down recipe is everything a summer salad should be.  A light, herbal vinaigrette and generous pinch of chili pepper complement the cool cukes and nutty quinoa perfectly.  The high-protein grain makes a substantial salad — I like it for lunch with a nectarine or bowl of sweet strawberries.

Quinoa and cucumber salad

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Yield:  Serves 6.

2 c. water

1 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained

Kosher salt

1 small shallot, minced

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

3 tbsp. champagne vinegar

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 English cucumber, peeled (leave thin strips of peel in between peeled sections for added color), halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise

3/4 c. finely chopped, fresh parsley

Combine quinoa, water, and 1 tsp. salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender (it should be nearly translucent and pleasantly chewy), about 15 minutes.  Drain off any excess water, then spread quinoa onto a sheet pan (this helps it cool quickly and not overcook) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine shallot, pepper flakes, and vinegar.  Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly until emulsified.  Stir in quinoa, cucumber, and parsley.  Season with salt to taste.

This salad keeps in the fridge for a few days and travels well, making it perfect for a picnic lunch.