So we both wanted a salad... but meatier than just lettuce. The only beans on hand were dried, and it's too early for great local tomatoes...
A quick check of the cupboards produced some quinoa, barley, brown rice, and bulgur. I knew that just 30 or 40 minutes would allow me to cook all those grains, so I set them to simmering while I shredded some carrot, and minced some scallions and Kalamata olives.
I drained and cooled the grains, and mixed about 3/4 C of each with the vegs and olives, then dressed it simply with EVOO and vinegar and a spoonful of pesto.
Some tasty rye bread croutons and a small grating of cheddar topped it off...
And a salad (with ENDLESS possible variations) was on the table in about 45 minutes.
And no, it did not taste at all like a bad '70s vegetarian restaurant salad!!!