Inspired by Sofra's Parfait: Wheat Berry, Yogurt and Kumquat Compote

It is a delight to dig into a nutty, creamy parfait and know that it is ridiculously healthy. Inspired by a dish that I had at Sofra in Watertown, I have been regularly making this for breakfast and lunch. At Sofra, they used grano, Greek yogurt and a fruit compote. I have swapped out wheat berries for the hard-to-find grano and use non-fat Greek yogurt. The simplest way to do this is to use fresh fruit or a store-bought compote. But I delight in creating the compotes themselves, often trying to take advantage of the fruits at Russo's in Watertown. This week, for example, I made two, both sweet and tart. For the first, scarlet rhubarb with a hint of ginger. The second was a gorgeous kumquat-lemon. Once cooked, the wheat berries last in the refrigerator all week. My son loves the wheat berries with a bit of maple syrup and milk. I have also used them in savory salads mixed with lemon, olive oil and chopped vegetables. But the parfait is what I eat after going to yoga or before starting out on my day.

To make the wheat berries, simply simmer 1 cup wheat berries in 3 cups of water for about an hour until tender. Drain and let them cool in the refrigerator. You can store them in the refrigerator or in the freezer.

Simply layer the wheat berries with the yogurt and fresh fruit or any fruit compote. You can eat it immediately. However, if you keep it in the refrigerator for about an hour, the wheat berries gently absorb some of the fruit and yogurt, making it even more delicious.

For the rhubarb compote, I simmer 4 cups of chopped rhubarb with 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I cook the mixture on low heat until the rhubarb collapses. Other times I throw in thin slices of ginger.

For the kumquat compote, I simmer begin by slicing the kumquats. I try to remove the seeds as I do so. I then simmer about 2 cups of kumquats with 1 cup of sugar and the juice of one lemon. Again, I cook this on low heat until the mixture reduces slightly.

Both compotes will thicken as they cool.  I use them as jams, on frozen yogurt, and to drizzle on hard cheeses.