The cherry tomatoes were falling out of every nook in my kitchen, I had to come up with something!
This is certainly a good year for cherry tomatoes. We’ve had lots of really hot weather here in Vermont, and I can almost see the plants grow! The cherry tomatoes have been producing a bounty all month, and I’m certainly grateful for this. I’ve packed quite a few in the freezer (whole, no prepping) to use in soups and stews next winter, and I’ve eaten more than my fill like candy from the basket on my kitchen table.
I had a bag of kamut sitting on the shelf, and the farm stand had some beautiful green beans, so the season helped me create a new side dish/salad!
Kamut, also called Khorasan wheat, is an ancient grain, a type of wheat, but its kernels are much larger than those of modern wheat. Packed with nutrition, this grain is high in protein and fiber, loaded with B vitamins, and minerals including potassium, calcium, zinc, and magnesium. I haven’t seen it in grocery stores, but it is readily available in health food stores and co-ops.
Use like you would any grain
The flavor is sweet and kind of nutty, its texture chewy, and it can be used like any grain as a side dish, base for a main dish, a cereal, or a salad. It does take a while to cook, but if you plan ahead and soak it the night before, the cooking time is reduced. Or, just toss it into an instant pot or pressure cooker and let it do all the work.
Although it is a wheat and is not gluten-free, I’m told that the protein strands in this grain are more easily digested than traditional wheats.
This dish can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled. It’s kind of a salad, kind of a side dish, a filling for a wrap, a stuffing for other vegetables, perfect picnic food, and could easily be a simple lunch!
The anchovies are optional if you wish to make this vegan.
Kamut with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans
- 1 cup kamut “ berries”
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small purple onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 anchovy filets, minced, optional
- ½ cup white wine or stock
- 12 ounces green beans, large dice
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup black olives, halved
- 1/3 cup basil, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
Cook the kamut. If you have soaked it overnight, add the kamut to boiling water and cook pasta style for about a half hour, 45 minutes if you didn’t soak it. Or, cook for 12 minutes at high pressure in your pressure cooker or instant pot 2:1 water to grain ratio. Let steam release naturally. This is what I did since I didn’t want the gas burner on for a long time on a hot day.
Meanwhile, prep all your vegetables: dice your onion, mince up your garlic and anchovies, large dice your green beans, and halve your tomatoes and olives. Chop up your basil and scallions. Once the kamut is cooked, this goes really fast.
Heat a large skillet over medium high and add the olive oil. When shimmering, add the onion and cook until it is soft. Add the garlic and anchovies, and continue cooking another minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the white wine and the green beans. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook until the beans are tender to where you like them. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and cook another few minutes, until the tomatoes have softened.
Take off heat and add the olives and basil, along with salt and pepper to taste. Add the kamut and mix well. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as desired.
Place in a serving bowl and garnish with scallions and more basil. You can also add some shaved Parmesan to this.
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Once again you have introduced me to a new food! I’ve never heard of Kamut, it sounds like a wonderful base for an endless variety of combinations…
I’ve only been using it about a year myself. A young gal at the health food store told me I absolutely had to try it, and so I did. She was right!
Again…Wish I lived closer, Dorothy.
I know! Sometimes it feels like our collection of blog friends are right next door! Certainly helps in these times we’re living through.
Oh yes! Staying connected is crucial, in my opinion. ⚡️
This looks so good! I haven’t had kamut in so many years!
Thank you! I have decided this is my new favorite salad to make and lunch and snack on all week. It is filling, and really satisfying, and you can add whatever is great at the market!
I have some Kamut in my freezer and your recipe looks like a perfect way to cook it.
Wonderful, let me know how you like it!
We picked our first cherry tomato this morning. Bring them on! I usually learn something reading your posts, and today was no different because I had to look up Kamut. 🙂
Thank you! You will soon be up to your elbows in cherry tomatoes!
I sometimes use puffed Kamut as a breakfast cereal, but haven’t cooked with it yet. Your recipe definitely makes me want to buy some! Love such fresh, veggies loaded salads in the summer.
Thanks Ronit! I haven’t tried the puffed cereal, but I’ll definitely look for it. With all the beautiful produce, the dish almost creates itself!
Love cooking this way! 🙂
Seeing your post cherry tomatoes, gotta give my story of that. Mother loved to garden vegs. Her and daddy worked a space in front of our house. Tomato cages and clean dirt. The green stems grew to give cherry tomatoes. I had a regular good habit to walk our dog at least 2-3 miles a couple times of the week. Seeing plenty on a stem, leaving some to use in the salad dishes and places, I harvested a handful placing them in my pocket. Later she questioned, “Do you know what happened to my cherry tomatoes.” I admitted, i was snacking on them when the dog and I walked. She said, Ok. no problem. And laughed cause she did the same type actions growing up. I always helped keeping the dirt clean of weeds and grass and my conscience was clean.
LOVE the story! Your mother was a wise woman, trading a little snack for some of the work! I know my mom used to be quite content when we worked in the garden if you had a little snack right from the patch! Thank you for sharing this!
I need to look out for kamut!
Looks so good! I never had Kamut!! definitely going to try!
Looks so good! I definitely want to try kamut now!
oh, I am so pleased! I think you will enjoy it!
well there’s something new for me – kamut! never heard of that one.
Now you’ll see it everywhere!
So beautiful cherry tomatoes, what a great harvest 🍅 😉
I love this dish! So colourful! A summer perfection!
It was a lovely combination, thanks!
I love have you created a really beautiful salad from looking in your pantry and what was growing in your garden.
Thanks! I love it too, when the ingredients offer the road map!
I love Kamut! Thank you for the beautiful pictures that accompany your recipes.
You are very welcome Terrie! Photography has always been a passion of mine.