Go-with-the-grain salad is a nutritious cold-season salad in which the grain is given a special boost with the addition of Italian ham and cheese.
The grain may be varied according to taste or convenience, with the choice ranging through barley, brown rice, wheat berries or bulgur wheat.
Any of these would give the salad enough substance to serve as a main dish for an informal lunch, perhaps along with soup, or to make a stylish first course for a more formal dinner.
The combination of prosciutto and Parmesan cheese evokes food tradition: The shared place name of Parma, Italy, gives the original classic ingredients their proper names – prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Go-with-the-grain salad
1cup barley, brown rice, wheat berries or bulgur wheat (see note)
8ounces thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma
6cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4cup diced red bell pepper
1/2cup chopped green onions (scallions), including some of the green portion
1/3cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in thin shavings (see note) or coarsely grated
2tablespoons olive oil
4teaspoons lemon juice
1/2teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon ground black pepper
Basil sprigs (optional)
Cook barley or other whole grain according to package directions until tender. Allow to cool to warm or room temperature (or to speed up preparation time, rinse with cool water and drain). Place in a large bowl.
While the barley or other grains are cooking, cut enough prosciutto in 1-inch wide strips to make 1/2 cup; reserve the remaining slices. In a large bowl, combine ham strips, tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, basil, 1/2 cup of the cheese shavings, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add barley or grains; toss to combine.
To serve: On the side of each plate, arrange reserved prosciutto slices in a fan shape. Spoon salad in the center of the plate, dividing equally among plates. Scatter the remaining 1 cup cheese shavings over the salad. Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired. The salad may be served still slightly warm or at room temperature.
Makes six side-dish servings. Per serving: 349 cal., 25 gm pro., 27 gm carbo., 16 gm fat.
Note: Cooking time will range from about 30 minutes for barley and 40 minutes for brown rice to 1 hour or more for wheat berries. Whole grains that cook in 20 minutes or less include bulgur and instant brown rice.
To make cheese shavings, pull a vegetable peeler across the surface of a Parmigiano-Reggiano wedge.
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