Rouxbe

• 1 cup spelt berries, soaked
• 3 cups of water or chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.

To cook the spelt, drain spelt berries and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water and remove any dirt or debris that you may find. Drain the spelt through a strainer.

Place in a pot and add 3 cups of water (or stock) and salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 1 hour.

Related Drill-downs

• Chicken Stock Options

• 2 red bell peppers
• olive oil

Rub the bell pepper with a little bit of oil. Place in baking tray and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are slightly charred and wrinkled. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap while you prepare the dressing. Then, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 1 large lemon
• 1 shallot
• sea salt (to taste)
• freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs thyme

To prepare the vinaigrette, juice the lemon onto a bowl. Peel and mince the shallot and add this to the lemon juice along with the sea salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until combined. Remove the thyme leaves from the stem, chop and add to the dressing.

Taste for seasoning, cover and set aside until ready to use.

Related Drill-downs

• Removing Leaves From Herbs

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 10 asparagus
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt (to taste)
• freshly ground pepper (to taste)

To prepare the other mise-en-place, place the almonds in a sheet pan and toast until lightly brown for about 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on the almonds to prevent it from burning. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

Next, snap off the ends of the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces, on a bias. Heat oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, add asparagus and cook until just tender but still crunchy, about 3-4 minutes or less and season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate.

Next, peel the slightly cooled roasted bell peppers. Remove the core and the seeds and cut into small diced. Then, set aside.

• 1 cup parsley leaves
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• sea salt (to taste)
• freshly ground pepper ( to taste)

To assemble the salad, check if the spelt has absorbed the liquid and taste for desired consistency. Add more stock or water if you want the spelt softer. If not, turn off heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Next, finely chop the parsley, then gather the toasted almonds, cooked asparagus, roasted peppers and the vinaigrette.

Then, transfer the grain to a large bowl. Add the almonds, asparagus, roasted peppers, the vinaigrette and the chopped parsley. Toss to combine.

Just before serving, crumble the goat cheese onto the salad. Toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve the salad warm or at room temperature.