Wheat Berry

Good things come to those who wait—three days, to be exact.

This nourishing soup is packed with creamy, chewy, and hearty textures that make the simple preparation extremely satisfying. Use stock instead of water if you’d like—but truly, you don’t need it.

Merguez, a lamb sausage spiced with cumin and chiles, is exceptional in this easy grain bowl, but any sausage you like will work just as well.

Kimchi gives this porridge recipe a spicy twist, while the 6-minute egg keeps it hearty and perfect for breakfast.

Sorghum is a gluten-free grain, with a texture similar to wheat berries, barley, and millet—so feel free to substitute those for this chicken recipe instead.

For this porridge recipe, pulsing long-cooking spelt, wheat berries, or barley in a blender yields a tasty base for a hearty, savory supper.

If using large mustard greens, remove the tough stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Smaller leaves can be left whole.

Across the Middle East, cinnamon is used not only to highlight the flavor of sweets but also in savory dishes—as in this Moroccan-inspired carrot salad. I toss it here with slender Kamut berries, which contribute their distinct buttery chew. Vibrantly colorful and deliciously juicy, this salad steals the show on my holiday table. Try it also next to steak, grilled lamb, or a simple roast chicken.

This is the breakfast Sam and I probably eat most often regardless of the season. In truth, it's usually a dish we whip up as a late breakfast on weekdays when we're both working from home and most emails have been returned. It's wonderfully versatile and allows you to use up any leftover grains you have from previous meals, folding in leafy greens for a bit of color. In that sense, think of it more as a template rather than a hard-and-fast approach. Any leafy greens and most grains will work, although I veer away from small, delicate grains like amaranth because they can get lost in the dish.

In many cultures dating as far back as the Middle Ages, crunchy, toothsome wheat berries have been sweetened and served for holiday celebrations. In Russia, poppy seeds, walnuts, and raisins are added for a dish calledkutya. In Turkey, a similar dish is calledkofyas, and in Greece it's known askoliva. The combination of wheat, honey, and dates has survived so long because it is heavenly. Serve small portions as it's quite filling.

This recipe is a template, open to endless riffs depending on what vegetables you have on hand. No matter what seasonal produce you use, remember to keep an eye out for a mix of colors.

Store-bought rotisserie chicken adds protein to this lively, aromatic dish; omit it for a satisfying vegetarian main course. If you can't find spelt, use semi-pearled farro or whole wheat berries.

A healthy, full-flavored side dish that will sell you on an undersung grain.

Wheat berries, the whole unprocessed wheat kernels, are most often ground to make whole-wheat flour. Like other grains, these kernels can also be cooked—as in this recipe—until they are tender yet pleasantly chewy. An excellent accompaniment to meat or fish, this dish is also substantial enough to serve as a meatless main course.

This is an excellent accompaniment to meat or fish; it can also be served as an entrée.

Wheatberries are a nutty grain often used in salads and breads. Look for hard red winter wheatberries—summer wheatberries become too soft after they’re cooked.

John Barricelli, an excellent baker, television host, and a longtime friend of Martha’s, learned to make this Italian grain pie, known as pastiera, from his grandfather. The wheat berries are fitting for the Easter holiday, as they symbolize rebirth and renewal. The grains get soaked in water overnight before they are cooked in milk. Afterward, they are mixed with ricotta cheese and pastry cream to make an exceptionally delicious filling. John sells the pies—and many other wonderful baked goods—at SoNo Bakery in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

Although there appear to be many recipes for the Armenian dish called khavits, most of which entail frying semolina or cracked wheat in butter before boiling it, the toppings are what hooked me when I had it for breakfast at an Armenian café in my town. You can crack your own wheat in a blender (see page 59), or use semolina, store-bought seven-grain cereal, or even Cream of Wheat. For added fiber, I usually include a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseed in each serving.