Grain salad with preserved lemon dressing

A killer dressing and a framework to make a hearty grain salad.

If you enjoyed this issue, head to the bottom to like or comment so others can find it. Thank you!

all the beautiful parts of the grain salad

As we approach the end of citrus season, my kitchen is still overflowing from the wealth of citrus I’ve been able to commandeer from west coast family. Lemons, oranges, Meyer lemon, grapefruit, tangerines, and blood oranges coming to me from San Jose and Tucson — my selection rivaling that of a specialty food store.

I always end up turning some of that into citrus-cello and using it to roast fish and chicken, but I think dressings are my favorite, and maybe one of the easiest, ways to use citrus. Here, I use a whole lemon and half of a whole preserved lemon to get a bright, briney, and almost creamy dressing that brings together a Mediterranean-leaning dish. This is great to have in the fridge during the work week - I ate this a few times with lettuce and grilled chicken breast for lunch and other times as a salty snack.

Grain salad with preserved lemon dressing

The following recipe is for how I made this grain salad, but other than the grains and the dressing, I think you can take this any way you want. Switch out the bean, lose the cheese, or use a different vegetable — the dressing anchors it all together.