Rye Berry and Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients

1 cup (170 g) uncooked rye berries

1 quart (1 liter) water

Kosher salt

1.5 to 2 pounds (675 to 900g) cauliflower, cut or broken into florets (no bigger than about 1½ inches/3.75 cm)

Extra-virgin olive oil

⅛ teaspoon dried chile flakes

1cup (120 g) roughly chopped lightly toasted walnuts

½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries, preferably unsweetened, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes or until softened, then drained

½ cup (15 g) lightly packed roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

10 to 12 pepperoncini or other pickled peppers, seeded and sliced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste

I tablespoon pepperoncini brine, or more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup (115 g) plain whole-milk yogurt

Directions

Put the rye berries into a medium saucepan with a lid. Add the water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to a lively simmer, cover, and cook until the rye berries are fully tender and most of the grains have opened up, 60 to 75 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure the water hasn't cooked off. Drain thoroughly and cool. If you're cooking the rye berries ahead keep them in the fridge, but take them out to warm up at least 30 minutes before serving.

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Put the cauliflower in a large bowl, add ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and the chile flakes and toss to coat all the florets. Spread them out on a sheet pan. Roast until tender and nicely browned around the edges, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

When ready to assemble the salad, put the rye berries in a large bowl. Add half the walnuts, all the cranberries, half the parsley, the sliced pepperoncini, thyme, vinegar, and pepperoncini brine, and toss to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust all the seasonings, adding more vinegar or brine if needed to make the flavor punchy. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss, taste, and adjust the seasonings one more time.

In a small bowl, season the yogurt with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the rye berry mixture in the bottom of a wide serving bowl or platter. Mound the cauliflower on top, drizzle everything generously with the seasoned yogurt, and finish with the remaining walnuts and parsley. Serve while the cauliflower is still warm, though the salad will also be good at room temperature.

Notes

I'm calling this a salad, but it's a main dish that you can serve any time of day, and it can come together in about 30 minutes, provided you've got some cooked rye berries in the fridge or freezer-always a good idea! (The salad also tastes great with spelt or farro.) You're likely to have most of the ingredients in the pantry already, so just pick up some cauliflower at the farmers' market or grocery store, and there's dinner. If you're going to cook the rye berries on the day you want to serve the salad, be sure to allow plenty of cooking time to get them plump and tender, as rye berries can be stubborn. —Serves 4