Celebrate the Fourth of July with this fresh, nutty salad

Grain salads are always a good solution to cooking on hot summer days, since you can cook the grain in the morning, leaving your kitchen to cool for the rest of the day. I like experimenting with different rice and wheat varieties as the foundation for cooling summer salads, and I particularly like the toothsome, nutty quality of farro.

Farro is an ancient strain of wheat that looks like plump barley kernels. You can find farro in health food stores, online and now in many supermarkets. I prefer Bob’s Red Mill organic farro.

Make sure to select whole grain farro; pearlized farro has the hull removed and cooks in half the time. Some are quick-cooking, while this untreated whole wheat farro takes longer to cook. It’s best to check the package for specific cooking instructions. If you can’t use wheat because it has gluten, this salad is every bit as good made with rice.

This Fourth of July, why not serve this farro salad studded with crunchy diced Persian cucumber and sweet juicy pitted and halved cherries? It has been a crowd-pleaser each time I serve it to my guests, with or without goat cheese. And while it takes some time to pit the cherries, it’s easy to do, especially if you have a cherry pitter.

An abundance of fresh chopped herbs adds plenty of herbal flavor, while the pomegranate molasses and sumac dressing add a sweet and sour flavor. Make sure to add just enough dressing to adequately dress the grain and veggies; any remaining will be great on other salads. This can be served as a main course along with a chilled soup or as a side to myriad entrees.

DREAMSTIME Select whole grain farro for this salad.