Fruited Grain Salad
Adapted from Still Life with Menu
Preparation time: About 1 hour for the grains to cook; only a few minutes of work thereafter.
Yield: Lots! ( 8 to 10 servings)
Each grain--barley, whole wheat berries, brown rice--has its own distinct personality in this salad. The addition of golden raisins, chives, mint, and plums (and/or apples) makes it taste both exotic and yet homey and familiar. Do try to find fresh mint for this salad. It's an important component, and dried mint is not quite the same thing.

* NOTE: The grains need to cook separately. You can cook them in advance and store them in tightly covered containers until you are ready to make the salad. You can also prepare the salad a night or two before you plan to serve it. (Add everything except the fresh fruit, which should go in shortly before serving.) It takes very little work. Most of the preparation time allotted is for cooking the grains, so you can easily make it during an evening when you are home doing other things.

* ANOTHER NOTE: This salad keeps very well, and is great to have on hand for lunches and snacks.

1 cup uncooked wheat berries
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden raisins
3/4 cup (packed) minced fresh chives (scallions may be substituted--be sure to mince them very fine)
6 to 7 large fresh mint leaves, minced--or more, to taste (or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried mint)
4 to 5 ripe firm red plums, sliced
1 or 2 tart green apples, sliced (optional addition to, or substitute for, the plums)
  1. Soak the wheat berries for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the barley several times, until the water in which it is rinsed looks clear. Put the barley and 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and simmer until tender (about 30 minutes).
  2. Place the rice and 1 3/4 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and simmer very quietly for about 35 minutes, or until tender.
  3. Drain the wheat berries and place in a saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until tender. This will take about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Check the water level. You may have to add just a little extra if it seems dry.
  4. When all the grains are cooked, combine them in a large bowl. Stir to let excess steam escape. Add remaining ingredients except the plums and/or apples.
  5. Cover and chill well before serving. This will keep up to three days.
  6. Add plum and/or apple slices, and mix them in gently just before serving.