Radish and Pecan Grain Salad

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amanda says: When you write about food, you always have your "foodar" on, as you search for new ideas to write about. So at a recent holiday party at our friends' Rachel and Morgan's, where I was supposedly watching after my two little ones, my foodar went "BE-EP! BE-EP!" when I tasted a grain salad that was served along with delicious roasted turkey.

The salad was made with farro, wild rice, quinoa, and barley. The grains were threaded with pecans, raisins, and dried cranberries and the salad was brightened with bits of arugula, radishes, and a wash of sherry vinegar and walnut oil. It was the kind of salad that sounds like a starchy do-gooder, but it has grace and conviction, and you'll want to eat it every day for lunch. Andrew Burman and Matt Monahan, the chefs at Court Street Grocers, who were the caterers that evening, kindly shared the recipe with me.

Serves 6 to 8 as a side

  • 2 cups mixed grains (like farro, freekeh, wheat berries, wild rice, and quinoa, pearl barley, or any combination of the above)
  • 1 cup baby arugula leaves
  • 1 cup parsley leaves, minced
  • 1/2 cup tarragon leaves, minced
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves, cut in a chiffonade
  • 1/2 pound pecans
  • 1/4 cup walnut oil
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1 cup lime, watermelon, or French breakfast radishes, cut into thin slices, preferably using a mandoline
  • 1/4 cup shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the grains and cook until just tender, about 25 minutes. (With grains like wild rice and wheat berries, add them to the pot first and cook 10 minutes before adding remaining grains).
  2. Drain the grains into a colander, then set aside until warm to the touch.
  3. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Season with salt to taste.

Comments (30) Questions (1)

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about 1 month ago walrusgumbo

yum! i used barley and bulgar as my grains and omitted the mint and tarragon (did not have them on hand). also i subbed smoked almonds for the pecans. i served it with panko chicken cutlets with a kimchi relish and sweet potato molasses rolls with avocado butter. this was great for lunch the next day.

Tad_and_amanda_in_the_kitchen

1 day ago amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.

yum!

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3 months ago darksideofthespoon

I used wild rice, quinoa, barley and farro - baby Kale instead of arugula and doubled the cranberries in place of raisins. SO DELICIOUS. My new favorite salad.

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6 months ago Yessica

Hi!! I am in love with your website and really would like to try this recipe. A little confused on the ingredient list--1 cup lime, watermelon, or French breakfast radishes. What is it that I actually need?
this looks perfect for our next get together. Thank you so much for sharing :o)

Tad_and_amanda_in_the_kitchen

6 months ago amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.

It means you can use any variety of radish that you like! Hope that helps -- and thanks for your kind words about the site. Let us know your thoughts on the recipe!

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2 days ago Yessica

Well, this recipe is on the regular rotation at my house. Everytime I make it there are no leftovers for next day. I have shared it withnothers and they only have great things to say. So glad I found you on the web. Every day I learn something new.

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8 months ago Mojolyn

A great and flexible salad. I've taken it to my family reunion 2 years in a row, to rave reviews. This time I used equal parts quinoa and wheat berries, and lots more arugula. It gets better after a few days.

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10 months ago EmilyC

This was the first dish I cooked after recently having a baby and it totally hit the spot. I love the combination of flavors -- I'll be making variations of this salad all spring and summer long.

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10 months ago rpepper

I made this gluten-free, with 1 1/2 cups buckwheat groats (kasha) and 1/2 cup wild rice. I cooked the two grains separately; the kasha needs to be toasted and then cooks for only about 10 minutes. No walnut oil on hand, so I used a blend of olive and vegetable oil. It came out beautifully--great flavor!

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11 months ago Jennifer Ann

a perfect lunch! I am growing french breakfast radishes (and tarragon and parsley and mixed greens) in my attic garden - my first harvest is going straight into this recipe. cannot wait!

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about 1 year ago Eating Local in the Lou

I cant wait to try this recipe- I just recently purchased farro and freekah in order to give them a try. This will be the perfect opportunity

Tad_and_amanda_in_the_kitchen

about 1 year ago amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.

Great -- let me know how you like it with freekah.

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about 1 year ago Joni D

Looks fabulous. Can't wait to make it Saturday while watching the Pats! On to the Superbowl....I hope!

Tad_and_amanda_in_the_kitchen

about 1 year ago amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.

Your wish came true!

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about 1 year ago Helen0408

okay, YUM! Just made this lovely, addictive salad. FYI - all other comments are accurate, this will serve alot of people! This is definitely going into my recipe rotation... and is there anything more beautiful than a watermelon radish slice?

Tad_and_amanda_in_the_kitchen

about 1 year ago amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.

Thanks for giving it a try!

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over 1 year ago babycook

OMG. I just tasted the salad (I made it for a dinner tonight) and it's AMAZING. I can't wait to serve it. Folks are going to go wild. I used a combo of quinoa, wild rice and bulghar. Yum!

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over 1 year ago jlsm

This salad has gone onto my "very best grain salad" list (a very select list of a half dozen). Just fantastic. I used hulled and pearled barley, wheatberries and black quinoa. I didn't use the raisins and I cut the nuts in half while toasting. Really, really good. In the two days since I've made it, I've already passed it along to two people.

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over 1 year ago bottomupfood

Top notch salad that is even better the next day. We've made it twice and marveled at it both times. Last time we used 1/2 wheat berries (because we're trying to get through a big purchase), 1/4 quinoa, and 1/4 wild rice. Last time we doubled the grains and the greens without incident; there's still enough dressing, so we would recommend it this way.

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over 1 year ago DessertByCandy

A great vegan sidedish that can be made ahead (just hold the arugula until last minute). Perfect for parties. I made it with wild rice, wheatberries, quinoa, and morello cherries. Toasting the pecan and marinating the shallot in vinegar also helped with a deeper flavour. Will make on a regular basis.

http://wscwong.typepad...

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over 1 year ago katenolan

I've made this salad for the first time today and can't stop eating it. It may not last to the dinner party tonight. Will give the leftovers to my ailing parents for a healthy and easy lunch! Thanks for sharing.

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over 1 year ago mbj913

I cooked the grains and tossed them with the vinaigrrette and dried cherries, planning on adding the othe ingredients before lunch the next day. It was so yummy we at it like that. I used brown rice, red quino and wild rice. Agree that it makes quite a bit. Turned leftovers into a riff on th quinoa cakes from Supernatural Every Day.

Tad_and_amanda_in_the_kitchen

over 1 year ago amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.

Thanks for the leftovers tip!

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over 1 year ago aussiefoodie

Although - one warning - this does make a lot! I think next time I would halve the recipe unless I was cooking for a crowd.

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over 1 year ago aussiefoodie

This salad was fantastic! I was looking for something to do with a small amount of wild rice that had been hanging around in my pantry and stumbled upon this recipe. I also had a number of radishes from my CSA in my fridge that I just wasn't sure what to do with. I used a combination of wild rice, Bulgar wheat and french green lentils. I did make a couple of substitutions for what I had - walnuts instead of pecans, avocado oil instead of walnut oil, swiss chard instead of arugula and dill instead of tarragon. But I love it when a fantastic dish comes together using up things that where lying around in my kitchen! Thanks for sharing - although it is Memorial Day, this dish makes me think a lot of Thanksgiving - withe the cranberries and wild rice that makes me think of stuffing.

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almost 2 years ago Adri

I made this recently and everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing!

Tad_and_amanda_in_the_kitchen

almost 2 years ago amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.

Glad to hear it!

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almost 2 years ago mcs3000

Just saved this recipe - looks amazing!