The well-dressed grains of this salad provide a hearty, earthy base for springtime ingredients like radishes and pickled fennel. Accentuate the lightness with a Citra Hopped cider from Crossmount Cider Co., which makes use of a specific hop variety known for its floral, grapefruit flavors, while using the cidery’s Flatlander Dry in the vinaigrette.
Wheat Berry Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Beer Bros. Bakery & Cuisine | Regina, Saskatchewan
Serves 4
1 medium fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
⅓ cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
6 cups mixed baby greens
2 cups cooked wheat berries, at room temperature
¾ cup cooked quinoa, at room temperature
Cider Mustard Vinaigrette (see below)
1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
3 large watermelon or round radishes, very thinly sliced
4 ounces crumbled feta
Put the sliced fennel in a small heat-proof dish or clean half-pint canning jar. In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved, then pour over the fennel. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or up to 5 days) before using.
On a serving platter, toss together the baby greens, wheat berries and quinoa. Dress well with cider-mustard vinaigrette (the grains will absorb some of the dressing, so be generous). Sprinkle with the cucumber, radishes and crumbled feta, then serve.
Cider Mustard Vinaigrette
Makes about 1½ cups
⅓ cup stone ground mustard
1 small shallot, diced
⅓ cup dry cider
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¾ cup canola oil
⅓ cup olive oil
Combine the mustard, shallot, cider, vinegar, honey, salt and white pepper in a blender, blending on low until the mixture is uniform. Combine the canola oil and olive oil in a measuring cup. With the blender running on low speed, slowly add the oil to form an emulsification. Continue running the blender until all the oil is incorporated. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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