Too hot to cook

I see that it's been a while since my last entry. I have in fact been too hot and cranky too do much cooking. Also, the kids had a whopping 3 hours of camp last week which left me with approximately 27 minutes of free time.

Alas, this week is a new...week. The girls began all day camp and I was a much happier mom today. I made black bean soup ( what was I thinking when it's hot and humid??!!) anyhow, the kids and I all loved it and we had some steamed haricots vert (small green beans) which they ended up dipping in the soup.

I bought more kale to make disappearing chips as well as cauliflower to make as roasted curried cauliflower.

There is some exciting news... Christopher Peacock Cabinetry has been awarded House Beautifuls Kitchen of the Year Award and they have built out an entire working kitchen at Rockefeller Center in NYC. I will be doing demo's at their awards party on July 17th. I hope to get some video to post. It should be a great evening.

I made a delicious Wheat Berry Salad on 4th of July that I will share with you.

1 cup wheatberries (available from Whole Foods)
Kosher salt
1 finely diced red onion
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 scallions, minced, white and green parts
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1 carrot, small diced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the wheatberries and 3 cups of boiling salted water in a saucepan and cook, uncovered, over low heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain.

Saute the red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl, combine the warm wheatberries, sauteed onions, scallions, red bell pepper, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheatberries to absorb the sauce. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.