pearled spelt salad with kale and lemon-tahini dressing

pearled spelt salad with kale and lemon-tahini dressing

Out shopping and I'm caught in a dilemma. Do I choose dark, sleek and elegant, or bright, frilly and frivolous? No I am not shopping for [whisper]  unmentionables, but one of my favourite winter vegetables. Do I choose calvo nero or frilly kale? These are the kind of important decisions that I like to make.

Frivolous wins the day and I am off home clutching my healthy booty to make one of my favourite lunchbox salads. Of course it is delicious; light with lemon and moreish from the tahini, but it is also very forgiving in that it will happily sit in the fridge for a few days (doing what a robust salad does when the door shuts and the lights go out) without losing its fresh taste.

Skill level: Easy

ingredients:
200g pearled spelt
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
water
kale, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful of dried fruit, roughly chopped (sour cherries, barberries and/or cranberries)
toasted sesame seeds

directions:

1. Make the tahini dressing by whisking together the tahini, olive oil and lemon juice. If it is particularly thick, add a little water. Season to taste.
2. Toast the spelt in a dry, hot frying pan for a couple of minutes before adding them to a saucepan of salted boiling water or stock. Cook until the spelt is tender (about 20 minutes). Drain. Dry out at 160C for about 10 minutes to remove any excess moisture. While warm, toss the spelt with tahini dressing.
3. Steam the shredded kale for a few minutes until tender. Drain well and stir through the dressed spelt together with the dried fruit.
4. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.