wheat berry tofu salad with asparagus pesto

i borrowed the idea for an asparagus pesto from 101 cookbooks and threw the rest together in an "i don't know what i want for dinner" refrigerator purge, which came out delicious and wholesome. kale and tofu form the base for the salad, with wheat berries adding chewy, nutty texture and oven-roasted corn and crunchy carrot coins mixed in, topped off with a creamy asparagus walnut pesto. i know i always say this, but i ate all the leftovers cold and liked it even better than warm.

note: if you'd like to cut down on the cooking time for wheat berries, pre-soak them overnight.

other note: this is easily veganifiable--just cut out the parmesan, and maybe stir some nutritional yeast into the pesto if you're feeling really wild.
wheat berry tofu salad
makes about 6 servings

• 1 cup wheat berries, rinsed
• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 ear corn, in husk
• 1 14 oz container extra-firm tofu
• 1-2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into discs
• 1/2 lb. asparagus, woody ends removed, chopped into 2" segments
• 1 handful walnuts (toasted in the oven, if you like)
• 4 tbsps freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 small garlic clove (or 1/2 large), peeled and minced
• 4 tbsps olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

preheat oven to 375ºF.

rinse wheat berries and combine with 4 cups lightly salted water in a large pot and bring to a boil. reduce heat to about medium (water should still be simmering) and cook until wheat berries are still chewy but tender, between 30 and 50 minutes (mine took about 35), stirring occasionally.

bring a separate large pot of water to a boil. blanche asparagus and kale in water for about 30 seconds. remove and put in an ice bath or run under cold water to stop cooking.

when oven is ready, place corn in oven (directly on the rack is fine) for 25-30 minutes, until cooked.

in a food processor, combine asparagus, walnuts, cheese and garlic (reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish, if you like). pulse once or twice and then slowly drizzle in olive oil with the machine running until just combined. taste for adjustments (more olive oil, cheese or nuts as needed, salt and pepper) and then blend until smooth. set aside.

chop tofu into bite-sized cubes. drain and heat in a large non-stick pan over medium heat, turning regularly, until golden (use a tablespoon or two of an oil of your choice, if you like, but i've been finding that oddly enough, tofu seems to stick to the pan less without oil--weird, i know).

remove corn from oven when cooked. when cool enough to handle, shuck corn and cut kernels off cob into a large bowl. add kale, tofu, carrot and cooked wheat berries. pour asparagus pesto over mixture, add salt and pepper to taste, and toss thoroughly until well combined. serve as is, garnished with asparagus tips, or chill for a few hours to let flavors meld, or something.