Name: Grains in Herby Buttermilk
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup mixed unhulled grains (such as spelt, whole barley, and/or whole farro); 1 small onion, unpeeled, halved; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 (3x1") strips lemon zest; Kosher salt; 1½ cups parsley leaves with tender stems; 1 cup dill fronds; 1 cup buttermilk, preferably room temperature; ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, preferably room temperature; ½ lemon; Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling); Freshly ground black pepper

grains in a vibrant green herb buttermilk sauce in a bowl

Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

The herbed sauce in this grain dish gets a double hit of punchy dairy: Not as sharp as other acidic ingredients, buttermilk lends a unique tang and yogurt brings body and richness.

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Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup mixed unhulled grains (such as spelt, whole barley, and/or whole farro)

1 small onion, unpeeled, halved

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 (3x1") strips lemon zest

Kosher salt

1½ cups parsley leaves with tender stems

1 cup dill fronds

1 cup buttermilk, preferably room temperature

½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, preferably room temperature

½ lemon

Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1
Toast grains in a dry medium heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just slightly darkened and beginning to smell nutty, about 4 minutes. Pour in 4 cups water, then add onion, garlic, lemon zest, and a couple of big pinches of salt; stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming any foam from surface as needed, until grains are tender (pull out a few grains and take a bite to test), 35–45 minutes; pluck out and discard onion, garlic, and lemon zest.
Step 2
Meanwhile, purée parsley, dill, buttermilk, and a big pinch of salt in a blender until bright green and smooth. Pour into a medium bowl, add yogurt, and whisk until your arm gets a bit tired—3 minutes should do the trick (whisking the mixture well will ensure that the yogurt doesn’t split and get grainy when you add it to the grains).
Step 3
Pour buttermilk mixture over grains. Increase heat to medium and bring to a bare simmer. Cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and squeeze in juice from lemon half. Stir well, then taste grains and season with more salt if needed. Skim any foam from surface.
Step 4
Ladle grains into bowls. Drizzle some oil into each bowl and top with coarsely ground pepper.