I’ve been eating grain salads galore these days. By making a big batch of a hearty rice, I can then saute vegetables and some slices of sausage for a quick weeknight dinner in less than 30 minutes.
As Katie Caldesi suggests in "Around the World in 120 Salads," feta or goat cheese is just what a salad like this needs. If you serve it warm, use goat cheese so it melts and turns into comfort food of the highest order. If you don't like the mix of sweet and salty, skip the dried fruit. The red onions will add enough sweetness as it is.
Ancient Grain Salad with Seeds, Nuts & Roasted Red Onions
This side dish offers texture and satisfying carbs but won’t stifle meat, fish or other vegetable main courses. If this is the main event, then bump it up with feta, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, fresh figs, eggs or whole cooked chickpeas. You could also serve it with hummus. We have also tried this with crumbled crispy smoked bacon and chopped dates, or finely chopped preserved lemons and sundried tomatoes, both adding further layers of flavor.
— Katie Caldesi
1 1/3 cup ancient grains, such as freekeh, quinoa, farro, buckwheat or red or brown rice
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 large red onions, one cut into 1/4-inch dice, one very thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, skin on and lightly crushed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup mixture of almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
3 cups peanut oil
Large handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons dried fruit, such as blueberries, barberries, cherries, cranberries, currants or diced apricots
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the dressing
Juice of 1 medium lemon
5 tablespoons rapeseed or extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the grains according to the packet instructions, until tender. (If there are no instructions, boil roughly 1 3/4 cups water and add the grains. Cover and cook for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the grain.) Drain and cool in a sieve.
Put the eggplant, diced onion and garlic in a bowl; season and coat with the olive oil. Spread the vegetables out on a baking tray and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned and soft. Remove from the oven, and set aside.
Meanwhile, toast the seeds and nuts on a separate tray in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until just browned. Set aside to cool.
Heat the peanut oil in a small saucepan until a small piece of bread sizzles in it. Deep-fry the sliced onion in the oil until crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes – watch carefully as it burns easily. Set aside to drain on kitchen paper, and season with a little salt.
Combine the dressing ingredients and season to taste. Assemble all the ingredients in a serving bowl, apart from the fried onion. Toss with the dressing and transfer to a serving dish. Top with the fried onion and serve straight away or refrigerate until you are ready. If the salad is chilled, let it come back to room temperature before serving. Serves 4 to 6.
— From "Around the World in 120 Salads" by Katie Caldesi (Kyle Books, $25.95)
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