Kamut Berry Salad with Tomatoes, Chickpeas and Feta

I am uninspired.  It's been raining for days in Pittsburgh, the summer harvests aren't at their peak yet, and my summer temp job is, let's say, less than stimulating.  In a fit of creativity I was able to pull together a lovely Italian-inspired grill menu for two of my friends the other day, and since then, I've been in a culinary funk.  Simply eating so not to pass out, which is not how I like to eat.

So I've be scouring my cookbooks (including new Italian and dessert reads that make me salivate) and magazines and even the internet in search of a foodie epiphany.  And then dinner time rolled around, so I just had to pick something.  Last night Roomie made a fantastic Mediterranean-style vegetarian stuffed eggplant, with some mint (courtesy of my recent dinner guests) and feta, that left me wanting for more.  And I've seen a few recipes for orzo/tabbouleh/quinoa salads. A short trip to Whole Foods later, here I am, cooking and writing and waiting the sun to reappear, and my inspiration with it...

...One meal later and I'm pretty satisfied.  A couple of notes before you start: I chose kamut berries because they were cheaper than quinoa in the bulk aisle and I didn't have any orzo on hand.  I didn't know, though, that the kamut berries take over an hour to cook.  They're rich and delicious and taste kind of like chewiness drenched in oil, but I'm sure it'd be just as tasty with orzo or wheat berries if you're short on time.  Also, the green onions didn't really add much to the flavor, but they added some color and crunch.  Lastly, I have a feeling this will be good tomorrow at room temperature...I'll let you know.

Kamut Berry Salad

1 cup dried kamut berries

1 can chickpeas

1 quart grape totatoes

1/3 cup crumbled feta, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup pine nuts

Fresh mint leaves, chopped

3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Juice of half a lemon

Olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Over medium heat, add 3 cups water to 1 cup kamut beans.  Bring to boil, add a pinch or two of salt, and lower the heat.  Cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until plump and tender, a little chewy.

3) Meanwhile, in a large baking pan, cover tomatoes with a hefty amount of olive oil and three or four pinches of salt. Bake at 400 degrees until they're as brown and soft as you like - I cooked mine for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, and have some bread on hand to soap up the sweet tomato juice that oozes out of them as they collapse. 

4) In a second saucepan, bring a couple of cups of water to a boil and cook the chick peas until tender, about 20 minutes.

5) When everything is tender to your liking, mix the kamut berries, tomatoes, chickpeas, mint, feta, and green onions (if you're using them) in a large bowl.  Squeeze half a lemon over the top and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately, and garnish with more feta and pine nuts.