A Thought For Food

After almost two weeks of being sick, Eric and I are finally back to normal. We caught some nasty bug while we were vacationing with my family in the Berkshires. It all started with the nieces having colds. You know, nothing major... typical kid stuff. But then it hit my sister, and my dad, and my brother-in-law. We thought we could protect ourselves with gin and tonics and whiskey, but on the last day, we both started in with scratchy throats, which turned into raging sore throats, sneezing, coughing... the whole thing. Just delightful.

Our time out there wasn't a total bust. Since we were feeling pretty good for the majority of the trip, Eric and I took a few outings. A highlight was the Fields Sculpture Park at the OMI Arts Center in Ghent NY. A 35 minute drive from Great Barrington, the sculpture park covers nearly 150 acres and has art scattered throughout. We spent a few hours just walking around, taking funny pictures of ourselves with a variety of sculptures. It was a great time and while we loved it, we thought our nieces would really have a blast. We'll have to bring them next year.

Between travels and being sick and work, I've had little time to cook. There was a while when we were living off of ramen soup doused with sriracha, but I really missed consuming refreshing salads (it's just too hot out there for soup). This recipe is something I've been enjoying for lunch on these 90+ degree days we've been having. It's got texture and bright flavors and, oh, cheese (because, in my opinion, all salads must have cheese). For those unfamiliar with sorghum (I had only had it in its sweet syrup form), it's a gluten-free grain that cooks like quinoa but has quite a bit more bite to it.

Arugula, Pickled Radish and Sorghum with Peas and Ricotta Salata

Yield
2 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup sorghum
2 cups water
Kosher salt
2 cups arugula leaves, washed
3 large radishes, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
Ricotta salata
Fresh mint leaves
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

In a saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Stir in sorghum, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until tender. Strain of any remaining liquid. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

While the sorghum is cooking, place the sliced radish in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat. Cover with cider vinegar and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Add arugula to a large bowl. Add the cooked sorghum and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat. Platter the arugula and sorghum and top with pickled radish, peas, and shaved ricotta salata.

Drizzle some of the pickled radish brine over the salad. Garnish with mint leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper.