Chef Jack Chen @RoyalDinette Grain Wheat Berry salad recipe for #TasteofThursday

GRAIN Wheat Berries, Dried Blueberries, Goat Feta, Mustard Greens, Sunflower Seeds

Yields 2-3 servings

RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked wheat berries*

½ cup fresh blueberries

½ cup dried blueberries*

1 cup goat feta

¼ cup chopped tarragon

Salt and pepper

Lemon vinaigrette*

½ cup sunflower seed tahini*

Mustard Greens

3 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted

Sea salt

Method:

Combine all ingredients except tahini in a bowl. The ratio of blueberries and wheat berries can be adjusted as desired. Season with salt, pepper and lemon vinaigrette.
Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
Spread sunflower seed tahini on the bottom of a plate or bowl.
Place mustard greens on top, and garnish with toasted sunflower seeds and sea salt.

*Wheat Berries

1 tbsp olive oil

½ onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

2 cups wheat berries

3 cups vegetable stock

Lightly sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil.
Once soft, add wheat berries and bay leaf.
Add stock and bring to boil. Lower to simmer.
Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
The majority of water should be absorbed. Strain if needed.

*Dried Blueberries

300 mL white wine vinegar

200 mL water

100 g sugar

1 sprig tarragon

2 cups blueberries

Bring liquid to boil with tarragon. Allow to cool.
At room temperature, pour over blueberries.
Sit in pickling liquid for a minimum of 24 hours.
Strain liquid (can be used for pickling other items, or in vinaigrette).
Transfer blueberries to a dehydrator or oven at 150-200°F, and dry until chewy.

*Sunflower Seed Tahini

1 cup sunflower seed, toasted

500 mL water

30 mL lemon juice

1 clove garlic, roasted

75 mL olive oil

Combine sunflower seeds and water in a pot and bring to simmer. Reduce until starchy, and sunflower seeds are soft. Be careful not to burn!
Place in a blender with lemon juice, roasted garlic and olive oil.
Blend until smooth. Add water to adjust consistency as needed.

*Lemon Vinaigrette

100 mL extra virgin olive oil

50 mL lemon juice

1 tsp grainy mustard

Salt and pepper

Jack Chen, Head Chef, Royal Dinette

Jack Chen was born in Taiwan and moved to Vancouver with his family at a very young age aptly observing his mother, a talented home cook, in the kitchen. Throughout high school and university he worked nights and summers at various cooking jobs and it was only after completing an economics degree in Victoria and taking an inspirational trip to Japan and New Zealand, that Jack finally realized his true passion and applied to Vancouver’s Northwest Culinary Academy.

Since graduating, Jack worked at some of Vancouver’s most well respected restaurants, including Bishop’s, Pear Tree, L’Abattoir as sous-chef and as head chef at Farmer’s Apprentice. He has also spent a significant amount of time abroad, working in London at The Ledbury and L’Autre Pied, and staging at New York City’s Per Se, Napa Valley’s Ubuntu, Belgium’s In de Wulf, and Germany’s La Vie.

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