Noble Wheat Berry Salad…

This week at the markets Mary will be sampling a Wheat Berry Salad from Noble Bread.  This is the perfect meal for this time of year with all of my favorite flavors of the season, hearty grains, roasted squash, toasted seeds, fresh corn.  This would make an excellent side for Thanksgiving, or perfect as a make ahead meal for weekday lunches.  Stop by and try a sample!

Noble Wheat Berry Salad

2 cups cooked wheat berries (Organic Sonoran White Wheat)
1/2 cup roasted purple yams or Kabocha squash
1/2 cup sweet corn cooked
1/4 cup roasted peppers
1/4 cups toasted seeds (Noble used sesame and sunflower, but pepitas would be nice too)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

For the Wheat Berries:
Bring one cup of the raw wheat berries and 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. (One cup of raw wheat berries yields two cups cooked.)  Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Allow the wheat berries to cook until tender and most of the water has been absorbed, about 40-50 minutes.  If they are not tender, add more water and time to the cooking.  Wait until all water is absorbed and then remove from heat and all five minutes to cool.

For the Yams:
Scrub the yams well under running cool water and pat dry with a towel.  Wrap each yam in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.  Cook in the oven at 325-degrees for one hour.  Check yams by inserting a knife to see if they cut easily.  After they cool, peel yams and cut into cubes.

For the Corn:
Bring a pan of water to a boil and add shucked ears of corn.  Once the water starts to boil, remove the ears of corn.  May take 1-2 minutes depending on amount of water.  Allow to cool and then cut off the kernels.

For the Bell Peppers:
Preheat oven to 500-degrees.  Place whole peppers on a sheet pan and cook for 30-40 minutes until skins are wrinkled and charred.  Turn twice during roasting. Remove stems and skins from each pepper and dice.

For the Salad:
Combine all ingredients, tossing with olive oil, vinegar and salt to taste.  The wheat berry bowl can be served warm or cold.