No one can deny that one of the best parts about summer is the insane abundance of fresh produce available, from juicy peaches and other stone fruits, to flavorful herbs and sweet corn.  There is so much ready to be eaten, so this salad is a quick way to bring all of summer’s flavors into one bowl.  The addition of hearty wheatberries gives this salad a little heft and a nice chewiness, making it a great main course, or a perfect side salad to be served with grilled fish or chicken.  Make it ahead and pull it out at dinner time, or bring it to your next potluck BBQ.  Wheatberry peach summer salad should be added to your to-make list before summer comes to an end!

Wheatberry Peach Summer Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked wheat berries
• 2 ripe peaches (or nectarines), sliced
• 2 ripe plums, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup arugula
• 1 cup baby kale (or spinach)
• 1 cup fresh or canned corn (optional.  I didn’t use it)
• 1 few basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup (or full cup) of crumbled feta cheese

For dressing: juice from half a lemon, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 garlic clove (minced), salt and pepper

Directions:

• Cook wheatberries according to package (it can take up to an hour to cook them).  Let them cool
• In a separate, large bowl, combine: peaches, nectarines, plums, onion, arugula, kale, corn, feta and basil
• When the wheat berries are cool, add them to the other ingredients
• In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and allow to rest until you’re ready to serve the salad
• Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat
• Garnish with more basil, if desired