It's no surprise that apples are turning up in a lot of recipes this time of year. This whole grain salad comes together in no time and offers you a more savory dish with which to feature this seasonal favorite . I used a McIntosh Apple, lemon thyme from the garden, oat groats for the whole grain and walnuts for this salad. Yep, oat groats. They are my whole grain of choice, the perfect texture and as simple to cook as rice. I normally would not cook with a McIntosh apple variety but since this recipe had such a short cook time for the apple, I knew it would still hold its shape. In addition to making a hearty side dish, you can take it along for lunch at work by not cooking the apple and switching out green onions for the cooked onions in this recipe. It is always nice for me when a recipe can do double duty with simple substitutions. Enjoy!

Oat Groat Apple & Walnut Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c oat groats or your whole grain of choice
1/4 c olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 large apple cored and cubed, any firm variety will work
1 T chopped fresh thyme
3 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 c chopped toasted walnuts
Salt & pepper to taste

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the oat groats and cook covered for 20-25 minutes until tender. Transfer to a large bowl. While the grains are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add apples, stir well and cook until slightly softened about 3 additional minutes. Transfer this to the bowl containing the oat groats. Add thyme, vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, walnuts and salt and pepper and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.