Wheat Berry Salad with Red Fruit & Pork, White Bean and Kale Soup

Special Thanks: These recipes are from Eating Well In Season: The Farmers' Market Cookbook, a donation from Dr. Preston Maring on behalf of Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Maring co-wrote the introduction for this book, which also features a foreward by Nell Newman, founder of Newman's Own Organics.

Wheat Berry Salad with Red Fruit

Featured Fall/Winter Michigan Produce:
Apples, dried cranberries, wheat berries

Storage tip: Store apples at 32-34°F for up to 8 months.

Ingredients

For 50 Servings of Salad

For 25 cups Cooked Wheat Berries:

Directions

For Salad:

1. Combine orange juice and cranberries in a small bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Combine wheat berries, apple and pecans in a large bowl; stir gently. Drain the cranberries, reserving the juice. Stir the cranberries into the wheat berry mixture.
3. Whisk the reserved orange juice, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and stir gently to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

For Cooked Wheat Berries:

1. Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones. Rinse well under cool running water. Place in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and salt.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. To serve hot, use immediately. Otherwise, follow the make-ahead instructions.

Nutrition Facts

321 calories, 14 g fat (2 g sat, 9 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 6 g fiber; 365 mg sodium; 99 mg potassium; nutrition bonus Vitamin C (15% daily value)

Software: Food Processor SQL software (ESHA Research)

Pork, White Bean and Kale Soup

Featured Winter/Hoop House Michigan Produce:
Kale

Storage tip: Kale is sensitive to overheating, store cooking greens at 32°F for up to 2 weeks.

Sourcing: Consider purchasing dry Michigan white beans and free-range pork products.

Ingredients

For 50 Servings of Salad

Directions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring once or twice, until no longer pink on the outside, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs, leaving juices in the pot.
2. Add onion to the pot and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and tomatoes, increase heat to high and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add kale and stir just until it wilts. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in beans, the reserved pork and any accumulated juices; simmer until the beans and pork are heated through, about 2 minutes.

Tip

While many love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35%) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (This recipe has been analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch. The Eating Well in Season Bean Cooking Guide can be found at www.eatingwell.com/guides.

Nutrition Facts

262 calories, 6 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 45 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 25 g protein; 7 g fiber; 627 mg sodium; 1,024 mg potassium; nutrition bonus Vitamin A (290% daily value), Vitamin C (190% dv), Potassium (29% dv), Iron (20% dv)

Software: Food Processor SQL software (ESHA Research)