Five Grain Salad

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup wheat berries

1 1/2 cup buckwheat groats

1 cup barley

1 cup millet

1 cup mung beans

2 cups fresh spinach, julienned

3/4 cup diced red onions

5 small peaches diced

1 cup chopped fennel

6 oz fetta cheese, crumbled

Dressing Ingredients:

1 cup oil

1/2 cup champagne vinegar

1/4 cup fresh fennel, minced

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp dry basil

2 tsp black pepper

(whisk together and let sit overnight)

Method:

3 days before making this salad you need to begin soaking your seeds and germinating them.  Place wheatberries in a large bowl and cover with about 5 cups water.  Allow to soak overnight.  In the morning drain and rinse and put back in the bowl.  Cover with a damp paper towel or cloth.  Rinse again in the evening.  Do this twice a day until the wheat has germinated.  Do the same with the mung beans, except they should sprout a day earlier than the wheat.  Place the groats in a bowl and cover with water.  After about 4 hours check by tasting a groat to see if it has softened.  If yes, then rinse well and drain thoroughly. Store in the fridge until other grains are finished.  Place the barley in a saucepan with 2 cups of water.  Cook for 20 minutes, then check for doneness.  When done rinse and drain well then add to the groats already in fridge.  For the millet, melt 1 tsp butter in a small skillet.  Add millet and saute until tan colored.  Place in a saucepan with 2 cups of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water then add to the other grains in fridge.  When the mung beans have sprouted put them in the fridge also.  The wheat will be ready last.  Mix all grains together and chill.  The day you are going to serve the salad add the spinach, onion, peaches, fennel, and most of the vinaigrette to the grains.  Salt to taste.  Chill at least 2 hours.  Right before serving stir well and check seasonings.  Line a platter with red leaf lettuce and spoon grain salad over the lettuce.  Crumble the feta over the top of salad and sesrve.  Serves 30-50 people.