Grain Salad: A Farm Party Favorite!

The Farm Party is a long standing Garden City Harvest tradition — one that centers at the core of what we do and who we are: sharing good local food as a way to create community.

So many small, special moments during Farm Party. In this case, two folks walk through the hoop house, admiring the hot crops.

If you haven’t been, it is a big old party up at the PEAS Farm, making the most of the harvest that abounds this time of year. We cook everyone a big meal, and host live music (Mudslide Charley and Joan Zen this year!), and enjoy local brews in a field together.

Kiddos enjoying a meal next to the PEAS Farm barn before heading to dance under the big top!

In the beginning of Farm Party, we made the food ourselves, renting out a commercial kitchen and going all out to make our favorite salads to share. Plus some burgers!

In the last few years, however, the party outgrew our talents, and we started working with local caterers to make a delicious meal. We grow the food, and the expert local food gourmets do the rest. This year (and last) Chef Paige Pitzer, owner of Riversong Gourmet, creates the feast.

Looking over the fields and down the Rattlesnake in the midst of the party. The light at this time of year is breathtaking against the mountains.

Over the years we’ve made many, many different salads for Farm Party. One of the all time favorites that we didn’t fit in this year: Kamut Salad! Since we didn’t put it in the lineup, I thought it would be a great time to share this recipe with you.

Grain salads are great because you can stick all sorts of things in them and they taste delicious with a little dressing. It’s a great way to tie many seasonal ingredients into one dish. Eat it as a meal, or as a hearty side. To make this gluten free, sub rice.

Put all sorts of veggies in this thing: kale, cucumber, tomato, onion, whatever fresh herb you have on hand.

I remember, one year, the crew added peaches because we had them in abundance. And it was delicious!

One year, kids got to dig up carrots with Farmer Jason. This year, we’ve got other surpises planned for Taste of the Farm goers (that’s a mini tour during the Farm Party that anyone can stroll through — picking something else to take home will be a part of this year’s tour!).

Recipe

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

A few sprigs of basil (or whatever fresh herb you have on hand)

1-2 tsp raw honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 cup Kamut® berries, cooked and cooled (shorten the cooking time if you soak the berries overnight — see here for simple cooking instructions — mine cooked for almost 60 min) — FOR GLUTEN FREE, use your favorite rice variety!

3 – 5 kale leaves, stemmed and chopped

1/2 sweet onion, diced small

1-2 peaches, chopped

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled