Fresh Wheatberries!

On Saturday I brought home something new from the farm: Just-harvested wheat berries! It was a chore to wash them, but boy was it worth the work (especially since my husband volunteered for the job). Then I toasted them lightly before boiling them until tender. Unlike the wheat berries I buy at the supermarket, these only took 20 minutes to cook and were so plump and delicious. I didn't do much with them before we ate: Just dressed them in olive oil and lemon juice and stirred in some olives, tomatoes, feta, and thyme. Here's the recipe:

Wheat Berry Salad
 Serves 4

1 1/2 cups wheat berries
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved if large
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper

1. Place the wheat berries in a medium saucepan, turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add water to cover and 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes for fresh berries, 40 to 60 minutes for storebought berries. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and thyme to bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or refrigerate for up to 1 day until ready to serve.