Ground cherries, which look like mini tomatillos with their paper husks, have a surprisingly sweet, tropical flavor. I’ve been thinking about how to use them more in recipes and had an idea for a sweet glaze for a stir fry. Coincidentally, the classic Chinese American sweet and sour sauce is made with pineapple juice. Perhaps this could work?

I played around with the proportions a bit, and I think this result is pretty good! It’s definitely not an exact replica, as it’s neither cloying nor artificially red. Think of it as being inspired by a sweet and sour sauce, a more wholesome farm-to-table version.

1 hour, 10 min
Serves 4

For the wheat berries

1 cup dried wheat berries
1 tsp salt for boiling

For the sweet and sour sauce

1 cup water
1 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tomatillos, husks removed, roughly chopped
20 ground cherries, husks removed, plus more for garnish
1-3 tsp minced jalapeño
3 tsp honey
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch

For the stir fry

2 Tbsp neutral oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cups chopped scallions
2 cups chopped shishito and Padrón peppers
1 head tatsoi, base cut to separate leaves
Salt, soy sauce, white wine vinegar to taste

Fill a large pot with water and add 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, add dried wheat berries, and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 50-60 minutes until the wheat berries are pleasantly chewy, but still firm. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
To make the sweet and sour sauce, combine ½ cup water, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, tomatillos, jalapeños, honey, and salt in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the tomatillos and ground cherries break apart (it will resemble applesauce), about 10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to help break up the tomatillos and ground cherries as needed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and ½ cup cold water. Slowly pour it into the sauce pan, whisking as you go. Cook the sauce over a low boil for 10-15 minutes until it is syrupy.
To stir fry the vegetables, add neutral oil to a large flat pan or wok and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a couple minutes before adding the scallions and then the peppers (if you add all the ingredients at once, they will cool the pan too much). Once the vegetables are sizzling again, add the tatsoi leaves. These will start as a large mound but, like spinach, they’ll cook down quickly, leaving crunchy stems and silky leaves.
Add the sweet and sour sauce over the greens, stirring to coat everything with an even glaze.
Serve the vegetables over the cooked wheat berries, in individual bowls or one large platter. Garnish with thinly sliced ground cherries.

Sweet and Sour Tatsoi

Blistered Shishitos