Spelt, an ancient form of wheat

Spelt Berry Salad with Escarole, Roasted Beets, and Charred-Asparagus Ranch Dressing
By Hans Butler

Spring in the Finger Lakes provides us with bountiful greens, the first run of wild leeks, and an abundant supply of Spelt Berries from Cayuga Pure Organics, not to mention winter’s leftover supply of beets. If you’ve read my “Cooking with Local Grains” article you’ve already heard about CPO’s Ancient Grains. To review, spelt is low-gluten wheat in which gluten is water soluble and more brittle than bread wheat gluten. It appeared around 5000 BC and was domesticated around 2000 BC in Central Europe, becoming a staple grain. Spelt was introduced to the United States in the late 19th Century, but was soon replaced by modern bread wheat, which was easier to de-hull and higher yielding. Thanks to organic farmers like Erick Smith of Cayuga Pure Organics, spelt is making a comeback because it requires few fertilizers and its tough hull naturally repels pests and disease. I like to steam spelt berries and add them to salads for texture, depth, and body. I recommend soaking spelt for at least one hour prior to cooking (overnight is even better), this helps the cooking process and makes the grain more digestible. Here is a recipe for a great salad with steamed spelt berries, escarole, roasted beets, and charred-asparagus ranch dressing. Happy Spring!

Spelt Berry Salad with Escarole, Roasted Beets, and Charred-Asparagus Ranch Dressing
Makes 5-6 servings

1 cup spelt berries, soaked for 1 hour
1 ½ cup water
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 ½ pounds mixed beets
Sunflower oil, enough to coat beets
Sea salt and pepper
1 head (8 ounces) Escarole or other bitter greens, washed and thinly sliced
1 bunch of Asparagus, enough to yield 1 cup after charring on grill
1 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Drain spelt berries and put in a pot with water, salt, and oil. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 45-60 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes, spread on a large plate, cool to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 425.  Wash beets and cut of the top and bottom with a knife.  Put them in a mixing bowl and coat with sunflower oil, salt, and pepper.  Wrap beets in foil and place in a baking pan in the oven for about 60 minutes until fork tender.  When beets have cooled off a bit, peel off the skin, slice, and set aside.

Prepare a hot grill.  Clean asparagus and remove only the root ends.  Char the asparagus over the hot grill until there are some nice burn marks, rotating them often. This will happen quickly so don’t leave the grill unattended. Remove from heat and chop the asparagus into bite size pieces.

Whisk together the crème fraiche, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.  Adjust seasoning as necessary. Stir in chopped asparagus.

To serve this dish, place a nice handful of greens on a plate and top with about a ½ cup of the spelt berries, fan out about 7 slices of beets over the top of the spelt berries and generously drizzle the dressing on top.

Chef Hans Butler brought us the beloved Watercress restaurant in Fall Creek from 2005-2008. He now develops recipes for Cayuga Pure Organics and Mexeo. You can also find him foraging for wild edibles or fermenting something.

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