Tom's Wheat Berry Casserole

Tom's Wheat Berry Casserole

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1/4 pound) wheat berries, uncooked
• 3 cups water
• 1 small eggplant, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 fresh tomatoes, seeded and quartered
• 21 dried California figs, halved diagonally
• 1 zucchini, cut crosswise into thick slices
• 1/2 onion, quartered and cut into chunks
• 1/2 green bell pepper; stemmed, seeded and cut into large squares
• 1/2 red bell pepper; stemmed, seeded and cut into large squares
• 10 to 12 canned pitted olives
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• 1/3 cup Celia's Fig Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar
• 6 fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley sprigs; for garnish

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the wheat berries and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed and the wheat berries are chewy and tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.
5. Toss the eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, olives, garlic and cayenne with olive oil. Spread in single layer in large ovenproof casserole or roasting pan and roast for about 15 minutes.
7. To serve, stir the chopped parsley and vinegar together with the vegetables. Divide the wheat berries among individual plates. Top each with an equal amount of the vegetables. Garnish with a parsley sprig.