I am a huge fan of farro, aka emmer. Have you tried it yet? It’s kind of like barley, but the grain is bigger and has a nuttier flavor. Similar to barley, farro is a whole grain with a chewy texture and can be used in both savory and sweet recipes. Farro is an ancient variety of wheat that is still used throughout Italy and has been showing up on more menus in the US recently.
For more on ancient grains, check out my article on US News here.
Basic Farro
Note: You really do need to rinse and sort through farro before cooking it. I end up finding a few little stones every time I make it, and you definitely don’t want to crunch down on those! Also, I think that soaking it does help it cook faster, but if you need to skip that step it’s fine.
Ingrediants:
- 2 cups dry farro (rinse and soak for 30 minutes)
- 4.5 cups water
- 1/4 tsp salt
Preparation:
- Place the farro, water and salt into a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 25-30 minutes, until tender but still chewy. Drain any water that remains. Fluff. Makes about 6 cups. You can cover and store the cooked farro in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Farro-Cauliflower Bowl
Place 1 cup cooked farro into a serving bowl and drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Top with a sliced hard boiled egg, 1 cauliflower “steak,” and 1/4 cup sliced cucumber. Spritz with a fresh lemon and top with 1 teaspoon sriracha. Hearty and delicious!
Note: Here’s how to make cauliflower “steaks”
Slice a head of cauliflower horizontally into 1-inch pieces. Place in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and roast at 400° for 25 minutes, until tender. You can also spice it up with any type of dry spice you like. I used a Moroccan blend for this recipe.
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