Turner Farm’s roasted root vegetable and wheatberry salad

CINCINNATI (FOX19) -It is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and many might be looking for ways to eat healthier.

This roasted root vegetable and wheatberry salad from Turner Farm is the perfect way to get back into eating healthy this winter season.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Wheat Berries, uncooked  
• Salt   to taste  
• Honeynut Squash, washed, seeded, wedged 1 each (~3 cups)  
• Sweet potatoes, washed, large diced 3 cups  
• Thyme, fresh     4 to 6 sprigs, or as desired  
• Olive Oil as needed  
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil   2 Tbsp  
• Apple Cider Vinegar    2 Tbsp   
• Honey      2 tsp  
• Watermelon Radishes, thinly sliced  ½ cup 
•  Parsley Leaves, torn    ½ cup  
• Mint Leaves, torn    ½ cup  
• Quark, crumbled    ½ cup, optional
• Smoked Almonds, chopped   2 Tbsp, optional  

Method:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the wheatberries, a little salt, and 4 cups water to a simmer. Simmer until grains are tender and liquid evaporates, about 30 minutes. If all the liquid evaporates before the wheatberries are tender, add a little more water. Let wheat berries cool slightly and reserve.
• While the wheatberries are cooking: preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cut honeynut and sweet potatoes onto a parchment lined baking tray and toss to coat in olive oil, with a little salt, and a few thyme sprigs (~2-3 each).
• Roast the squash and sweet potatoes until golden brown and tender, roughly 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the thyme stems, and let cool to room temperature.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, thyme leaves (remove from ~2 stems), and a pinch of salt. Add the wheatberries, roasted vegetables, watermelon radishes, parsley, and mint. Toss to coat and season to taste.
• To serve: portion or place onto a platter and garnish with the smoked almonds and crumbled quark.

Notes:

• This salad is just an example of how you can use leftover grains, like wheatberries, and roasted vegetables to make a hearty winter salad. Most of the salad ingredients can be substituted for others, so just try to use what you have on hand.
• Honeynut squash can be substituted for other winter squash varieties but be sure to peel their skins as they are not as enjoyable as the honeynut skins. 
•  The sweet potatoes can also be substituted or used in a combination with many other root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, celeriac, beets, turnips, or rutabaga. Just make sure to cook until tender as some may take more or less time to roast. 
• If you cannot find quark, you can also use goat cheese.

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