Jul

29

Kamut Salad with Vegetables

July 29, 2008 |


In the last few days I thought summer was going to end sooner but finally it warmed up again so instead of thinking about polenta and spezzatino I chose to prepare this tasty summer salad with vegetables and kamut berries. I’ve been eating Kamut products for quite a while now but it was only this year that I tried kamut berries. Whole grains are actually healthier but I always thought about the long time it takes to prepare them plus the soaking time and I so always decided to try it later. In the end I finally made it and it actually didn’t take that long. The texture of this dish is fabulous especially together with the vegetables I used for this salad.

Maybe some of you don’t know but Kamut (Ka’moot) is not the name of a grain but it’s a registered trademark of Kamut International Ltd. used to market a grain which contains certain guaranteed attributes.  The word Kamut is an ancient Egyptian word for wheat. Egyptologists claim the root meaning of Kamut is “Soul of the Earth.” This new grain is an old relative of durum wheat, its common name is Khorasan wheat, Lat. Triticum.turanicum.turgidum. It’s 2 to 3 times the size of common wheat with 20–40% more proteins, higher in amino acids, vitamins, lipids and minerals. It can be an alternative to wheat and it’s nutritionally superior as well it has a sweet and buttery flavor and can be easily digested. Some Kamut products also have a low glicemic index . The introduction and cultivation of Kamut® wheat is an important new crop for sustainable agriculture. It is in fact an excellent crop for organic farming due to its ability to produce high quality grains without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. It’s cultivated in a small area of North America: Northeastern and Central Montana, Northwestern North Dakota (USA), Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.

Kamut Salad with Vegetables

2 cups of Kamut Berries uncooked
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 small eggplant or half of a big one
2 zucchini
1 small yellow bell pepper or half of a big one
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Italian chopped parsley (optional)
salt to taste

Serves: 4 to 6 persons

Cook the kamut berries as directed. You can usually soak them overnight and then cook them for about 40′ or just cook them directly for a longer time, about 80′. When ready drain the kamut and mix it in a salad bowl with 4 Tbsp. of olive oil and set aside.

Saute the onions and the garlic in 4 Tbsp. olive oil until translucent. In the meantime cut all the vegetables in small cubes. When the onions are ready add the carrots, the celery and the eggplants and cook them for about 10 minutes.  At last add the zucchini and the bell peppers and cook them for about 5-10 minutes.

Combine the vegetables with the kamut berries, sprinkle the dish with freshly chopped parsley and serve. This dish can also be served cold or at room temperature.


Comments

2 Comments so far

  1. Betty on August 14, 2008 5:55 am

    I have never seen Kamut products in any stores here around north Alabama. Is there any other item which might be substituted in this recipe?

  2. admin on August 22, 2008 4:34 am

    Hi Betty,

    Well if you replaced it wouldn’t really be a Kamut salad anymore . . . . If you can’t find it in a store in your area I’m sure you can find it online. Otherwise I guess you could try Italian farro, spelt berries or brown rice.

    Ciao,
    Patty

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