In with the Heirloom

I gave up Diet Pepsi this week. July 5th, to be exact. And I am saying this publicly in the hopes that it will stick. It’s not that I plan never to drink a sip again, but I’d rather it not be an integral part of my work day, as it has been for years.

I get so much pleasure out of eating tasty, healthy, responsible food, it seemed silly to infuse the whole thing with a week-daily dose of aspartame. It’s a little embarrassing, actually. So I’m done.

I bought some spelt a few weeks ago from Finn River Farms, a new vendor at my local farmers market, and have been looking for an occasion to try it out. This event seemed fitting—usher out the daily poison with locally and family farmed, organic heirloom grains.

Out with the Nutra Sweet, in with the heirloom.

I made a salad with the spelt and some red salad onions from Alvarez Farms, and served it with sliced tomatoes and grilled grass-fed top round beef from Bill the Butcher.

Spelt with Onions and Ricotta Salada

1 cup spelt berries
1 small red salad onion (about ¼ cup sliced)
½ cup crumbled ricotta salada
3 T olive oil
2 t red wine vinegar
½ t kosher salt

• Rinse the spelt. Bring it to a boil in a medium sauce pan with 3 cups of water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Slice the onion into thin rounds including a few inches of the greens. Separate the rings.
• Whisk the oil, vinegar and salt together in a small bowl. Toss it all together. Let it stand at room temperature for an hour or so to let the vinegar soak in.