Kitchen Sink Wheatberry Salad

One of the best things about the interwebs is the people we meet along the way.  Another great aspect is that we learn so much from each other.  A blogger named Heaven's Drifter is a fine example of both. I'll make a confession about my relationship with HD here.  It's something I've never told her.  I first noticed her in notes she left to another fellow blogger.  This other blogger had, in the past, been very very born again preachy with lots of prayers and bible verses in her entries etc..  Hey, that's all good if it's your belief system, but it's not mine, it doesn't interest me and so, I wandered away from that blog. I never read HD's blog because of where I first encountered her.  I figured with that blog name with Heaven, she was of the same religious ilk as the blogger where I first encountered HD.   I'd see HD notes here and there on a few different foodie type blogs.  I followed some notes and began reading her.  I never saw a biblical or religious reference in her entries.  I mean she often mentioned red stiletto heels and some worker guy named Armando who had the hots for her.  So I was wrong about the name thing. 

I did begin to see what HD and I had in common.  A love of food, fresh food, home cooked food, fresh garden goodness, taste achieved through understanding fresh herbs and fragrant spices.  The cool thing is that HD is a vegetarian.  I am really interested in vegetarianism, and would try to move that way except that I am married to a true carnivor.  I did tell John last night that if I still have teeth when  he dies, I'm turning Veggie.  He seemed unimpressed.  Following HD's example, I made my first Wheat Berry salad yesterday.  I used to buy it premade at Whole Foods when I lived near one, but there is none here.  Here's how I made the salad.   It is scrumptious.

1.5 cups of wheat berries soaked overnight, then covered and simmered for 2 hrs.

I carmelized  1 onion diced.

I added

2 stalks celery hearts fine diiced

1 orange bell pepper

1/2 raw onion fine dice

3/4 C toasted chopped walnuts

1/2 C Crasins (dried cranberries)

handful of fresh basil chiffonade

3/4 C Feta Crumbles

Salt and pepper

I dressed it with a combination of EVOO, a tiny splash of white balsamic, knifetip of dijon mustard and juice of half a lemon.  Adjust all variables to taste.

I'm telling you, it was fantastic, jam packed with taste, texture and crunch.  John refused to even taste it.