Maya discovered it in the fridge at mom’s house, carried the recipe all the way back to California, and then started making it for her own family.  She was gushing about it while she cut my hair last month (I love a girl who gets all excited about food!), and then pulled me into the salon’s tiny kitchen to give me a taste of the portion she had brought for lunch.  It was all crunchy and tangy and alive with flavor… I knew it would quickly become a standby in my own repertoire.

And it really is a new favorite because it’s light, fresh, filling, and really, really yummy.  It works as a vegetarian main course for lunch or a light dinner, or as a side dish with chicken or fish.  It’s also a great pot luck option — a nice change of pace from the usual macaroni salad.  It’s super easy to make: The only cooking involved is boiling the wheat berries.  All other labor is limited to chopping and mixing.  I’ve been making large batches and keeping it in the fridge for up to a week, spooning it into Tupperware for lunch at the office.  I even took some on a flight to the East Coast, which elicited much envy from my fellow passengers as they reluctantly unfolded their little cardboard snack boxes full of prepackaged God-knows-what.

Creamy Dill Spelt Berry Salad

2 cups water, salted
1/2 cup spelt berries*
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/3 English cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (washed and dried)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (washed and dried)
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the water to a boil, salting generously, and add the spelt berries.  Boil until the berries are tender and cooked through.  Drain and cool slightly.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil.

Add the garbanzo beans, chopped celery, bell pepper, carrot, cucumber, and fresh herbs to the spelt berries, toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cider vinegar.  Stir the dressing into the spelt mixture and stir gently to combine.  Add salt and pepper, seasoning to taste.

Serve garnished with a sprig of fresh dill.  Store air tight in the refrigerator for up to seven days.

*If you can’t find spelt berries (check your local health food store), pearl barley also works well as will any large-kerneled, sturdy grain.