Lana’s Perfect Wheat Berry Salad

•2 cups Nitty Gritty Hard Red Wheat Berries (makes about 5 cups cooked)
•2 cups fresh basil, packed
•3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
•3 Tb. pine nuts
•1/2 cup olive oil
•1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
•1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
•1 cup crisp celery, chopped
•1 cup red pepper, diced
•3/4 cup green onions, chopped
•1 cup Cabot Vermont cheddar cheese, cubed
•Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Method:

Rinse wheat berries and place in pot.  Fill with water and boil for 1 1/2 hours, until tender, but still chewy. Drain and set aside to cool. Place basil leaves, about 3/4 cup at a time, in food processor and whip until well chopped. Add about 1/3 pine nuts and garlic, and blend again. Add about 1/3 of the parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 olive oil, stopping to scrape the sides of the container as needed. Process until it forms a thick, smooth paste. Repeat process until all nuts, garlic, parmesan, and oil are used. Combine batches together well. Set pesto aside. Mix veggies, cheese cubes, wheat berries and pesto in a large bowl.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, stir well, and serve (or eat!).

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