This Spring Grain Salad says spring is here like the sounds of birds chirping in the morning! We love it so much that we made it five times last week: twice with preschoolers, twice with 2nd graders and once with high school students. One of best elements of this recipe is the opportunity to experiment with different grains.
At The Sylvia Center, we always try to incorporate whole grains into our recipes. They give us all the natural benefits of fiber, nutrients and flavor whereas white grains are stripped of all of this good stuff when they are processed. In addition to couscous and wild rice, we added farro and wheat berries which provided a delightful mixture of texture and color. So long as you keep in mind the different cooking times and keep the proportion of grains to vegetables, you can’t go wrong.
We also can’t get enough of the tender spring vegetables in this dish. In the Katchkie Farm Learning Garden, we are starting to see asparagus, peas and radishes, as well as in the farmer’s markets. Don’t be afraid to include seasonal, young herbs like chives in this recipe. The asparagus and peas are so tender that young chefs can safely practice their dicing skills, or easily break them into bite sized pieces with their hands. The radishes add the most beautiful and appetizing contrast of color. When all is said and done, this salad knows what it’s doing!
To get your weekly deliveries of Katchkie Farm goodness all season long, be sure to sign up for their CSA (with delivery locations throughout New York City). Last chance to sign up is May 15th!
Spring Grain Salad
Serves 4
ingredients
1 cup cooked couscous
1 cup cooked wild rice
½ cup sweet peas, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch radishes, sliced thinly
3 scallions, sliced thinly
½ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
¼ cup garlic chives or scapes, minced
¼ cup crumbled feta or other crumbly cheese like queso fresco or cotija
Zest of 1 lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Lightly saute the peas, asparagus and radishes over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Toss together the couscous, rice, vegetable mixture, scallions, zest, and herbs until combined and set aside.
- Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil until emulsified. Drizzle over grain and vegetable mixture and toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper and top with crumbled feta.
