Wheatberry "Paella" with Chickpeas

Umm this has a very tenuous relationship to 'real' paella, but I'm going to go with it anyway.  Peppers, capers, and lemon juice give this stew a more tangy flavor than your average tomato-oregano thing.  I added some more veggies to Isa's recipe for a complete meal.

Let's see... I had no leeks, so I just used an onion... and I threw in some zucchini and carrot as well.  Otherwise, I mostly followed the recipe.  I'm not sure I liked how sour it was, but it was super saffrony! which was aromatic, not to mention indulgent.

Wheatberry "Paella" with Chickpeas

(from the post punk kitchen)

Ingredients

1/2 tsp saffron threads
1/2 c boiling water
*
1 c wheatberries

1 bay leaf
*
olive oil
1/2 onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 c dry white wine (Chardonnay is great)
1/2 tsp salt
1 c vegetable broth
1 TB tomato paste
1 carrot, diced

2 small zucchinis, diced

2 roasted red peppers, jarred or homemade, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1-2 c drained, cooked chickpeas (one 15 oz can should work)

4 tsp capers (too much?)

2 TB fresh lemon juice

lots of fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. Pour boiling water over saffron and let sit. 
2. In a small saucepan, bring to boil wheatberries and water.  Boil 2 minutes, then turn off heat, cover, and let sit.
3. In a larger saucepan, heat oil and saute onion, then add garlic and cook some more.  Add spices, wine, and salt, and cook some more.  Add broth, tomato paste, veggies, and bay leaves, and reduce heat and simmer for 30+ minutes.  Add wheatberries (drained) and saffron water.  Late in the game, add chickpeas.  Just before serving, add capers, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.   Serves about 4-5.