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.

8 servings

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

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.