Moroccan Grains and Greens Salad
Oh no. Here comes Sarah comes with all the greens and grains again. Tough. Somebody's got to be on Fiber Patrol.
If I have my act together, I like to make a big ol' sturdy salad on the weekends. Pasta, couscous, bean. In the last year, I've been into chewy, complex carbs like barley, farro, and wheat berries. They hold up a long time, stay in separate grains, and will keep your firefighter husband full for his sexy work. He HATES it when I talk about him here, and would prefer I stick to my "Don't Bore Your Readers with Cloying Stories about your Husband" rule. But I love to picture him in his navy uniform and duty boots, jumping off the rig to help someone. I've never considered myself one of those people that swoons over men in uniform, but that was before I saw Yancey in one.
And I can't think of anyone I'd rather see in an emergency. I have a few friends that have had to call 9-1-1 lately. They report feeling very connected to the first responders who traipsed into their houses. Such vulnerability in that moment--it really matters what those first few minutes are like. Lucky, those residents in the square miles around Yancey's station. And lucky he's got a cooking fool for a wife. Just doing my part.
I have made countless versions of this salad, using what's around or whatever designer grain everyone's eating. The dressing is what makes this one memorable--preserved lemons, a harissa spice blend I got at World Spice Merchants. There's an eensy weensy chance you might not have those in your pantry, so just sub lemon juice and smoked paprika. If you don't have smoked paprika...Well, then. Rectify that.
Here's to all the folks in the world who need to be fortified for their hard work--parents, daycare workers, bus drivers, restaurant staff, teachers, utility workers, architects, nurses, contractors, and yes--those sexy first responders.
Moroccan Grains and Greens Salad
This will keep in your fridge for a good 5 days. Once it gets cold, I find it needs a little drizzle of olive oil and another sprinkle of salt. And the feta is optional. I adore feta and am always looking for a reason to eat it, but Yancey could take it or leave it.
2 c. whole grain (barley, Israeli couscous, farro, etc.)
4 c. finely chopped leafy grains (kale, collards, mustard greens)
1 bunch curly parsley, stemmed, washed, and coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 c. coarsely chopped green olives
1/2 c. coarsely chopped Kalamata olives
1/2 c. sunflower seeds, raw or roasted
1 c. halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 c. crumbled feta
For dressing:
2 cloves minced garlic
3 Tb. chopped preserved lemon (or 1 Tb. lemon zest)
4 Tb. liquid from preserved lemon (or juice of one lemon)
2 Tb. Harissa paste or dried Harissa spice blend (or smoked paprika)
Tb. honey
1/2 c. olive oil
freshly ground pepper
kosher salt (only if you didn't use preserved lemon liquid, which is very salty)
To cook the grain, put a big pot of water on the stove to boil. Dump in a healthy dose of salt and add the grain. Cook until tender, depending on the grain. I used barley this week (45 minutes) and Israeli couscous the next (10 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine cooked grain with all the other ingredients.
To make dressing, whisk together. everything but olive oil. Add olive oil in a stream, adding more of anything to taste. Pour over salad and gently mix.
March 17, 2010
Reader Comments (22)
:)
You have a daring husband! Most of the time my husband yells when I am cooking in the kitchen "what smells like ass?!" Especially the other night when I made Chicken Tikka Masala - the cinnamon/curry/hot pepper sauce was a bit much for him - but it's to be expected when you marry a meat and potato man! :D I adore him to death though!
This is a salad I want to love. And it's likely that if you put it in front of me, I'd probably eat it. And then a second helping too. But I just can't bring myself to make it myself. I'm not sure why. Probably not enough butter.
Yum-I make a similar salad with a little Pomegranate Molasses in the dressing, no Harissa though-but I might rectify that
nice post my dear, besides the salad looking delicious, I can assure you there isn't a married women follower that doesn't like hearing you are still madly in love in love with your man, after 14 years of marriage. even if they don't admit it!
pds, you crack me UP! I don't even know you, and yet I suspect you may be my dear husband's alter ego!
I want to see how I could grab your rss feed to keep updated of any new posts on your blog, but I wasnt able to find it, How can I do this?
Sarah this looks right up my alley and I love how you combine these grains and bitter greens into wonderful dishes.
Yes--very true about the love story:)
At the very top of the page (under the fabulous header and before the first post), there is a little orange button with "posts" and "comments". You can click those to subscribe to either the comments or the posts. I subscribe to both because half of the fun is reading the comments.
I cook for varying tastes. The only thing we all really agree on is butter. After that it gets a bit shaky. Even bacon is no longer on the "for sure" list. (<< saddens me.)
Spoon pics are my favorite =]
Hello, summer salads!
Mom & I made this for a 'Welcome Spring' dinner tonight - the flavors were spot on.
Hi Hillary! Happy Spring to you and your mom...
Hi Sarah! Hill's right - the flavors were perfect in this salad. We added a few sautéd prawns to the top :) A question: can you direct me to the post you put up awhile back in which you talked more in depth about the grain, farro? I can't find it around here, but I have friends coming to visit from Seattle soon, so thought I might ask them to bring some with. Where do you purchase it up there? Also, does the harissa spice mixture have a smokey flavor? And is there a spice market up there that you recommend? I think you mentioned some place, but I wasn't sure if it was local or ?
Thanks Sarah! - keep the great recipes and wonderful stories coming, if you can. It sounds as though you are extremely busy!
take care,
laura
oops - just realized it was freekeh, not farro, that I was thinking of (in the salmon with greens & grains recipe). So, what is farro?
This looks wonderful. Do the greens soften as they marinate in the dressing? I'm curious that they're not even blanched. Raw collards sound a little bit scary to me, but I have faith in you!
Yes, they do soften, and I chop them finely. I happen to love bitter greens, though. If you want to temper the taste a bit, throw them in with your cooking grain for a few minutes at the end, and drain the grain and collards together.
Sarah, I made this salad for dinner last night using pearl barley and lacinato kale. We both had second helpings. Found preserved lemons and harissa at The Mediterranean store in Bellingham. This would be a great dish to take to a potluck. Thanks for a fabulous job on fiber patrol.
Sarah- also loved this recipe...it makes a ton!!! I agree with Susan- would be a great pot luck addition :-) I didn't have any of the Israeli couscous so I used regular...it still turned out great. Next time I will try the barley...love to toast it first to give it extra flavor! thanks again for your great recipes, words of life and living :-)
[...] made Sarah’s Moroccan Grains & Greens Salad, adjusted slightly to our own personal tastes…and with the ingredients we remembered at the [...]
My 2 year old ate a giant bowl of this tonight. Didn't go over so well with the 4 year old (she's tough to please), but the rest of us loved it. Thanks, Sarah!