Roasted Carrot and Cracked Wheat Salad with Broken Olive Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette:
8 kalamata olives (pitted and minced)
1 garlic clove (grated)
1 tablespoon capers (minced)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 splash caper juice
Salad:
2 1/2 cups cooked cracked wheat
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 Meyer lemon (juice and zest)
3 carrots (peeled, halved lengthwise, roasted and roughly chopped)
2 parsnips (peeled, roasted whole and roughly chopped)
2 shallots (halved lengthwise and roasted)
canola oil (enough for frying)
1/4 cup crème fraiche
salt and pepper (to season)
Directions:
For the vinaigrette, place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a fork until everything is incorporated.
For the salad, place the first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl (reserving approximately ¼ cup of the cooked wheat), season generously with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside for now.
Heat canola oil in a small pot. Once hot, work in several batches to fry remaining cooked grains until very crispy, about 20-30 seconds. Transfer to paper towel to absorb any excess grease.
For assembly, place a dollop of creme fraiche on the plate, followed by a scoop or two of the grain mixture then the roast vegetables and a sprinkling of fried wheat for some crunch.
Drizzle vinaigrette over top and serve.
Serves 3-4
