Farro with Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, Mint & Walnuts

The official start of autumn is this coming week.  But other than the changing of the light, there has been little indication from the elements that we are approaching fall.  September has, for the most part, been unusually warm.  Even during the week of rain we had earlier this month, it was a warm rain…it didn’t have the chilly feel that a spate of September rain usually brings.  And although I love fall, I’m not complaining.  I love summer too.  

I mostly point all this out to say that the foods of fall have snuck up on me. The market is beginning to fill with pumpkins, hard winter squash, apples, pears and cool season root vegetables (ready for harvest because of the waning of the light I would imagine…).  But I am still hungry for the foods of late summer:  fresh tomatoes, corn, summer squash, green beans, etc.  And thanks to the warm weather they are still in good supply.  So in the spirit of this moment, today I am offering a cool, late summer farro salad…filled with corn and tomatoes.  The calendar may soon say “fall,” but I anticipate being hungry for this salad for as long as the corn and tomatoes keep coming into the market (easily for another couple of weeks…).

The dish is a loose adaptation of a recipe in a recent addition to my cookbook library: the insightfully named Six Seasons (by Joshua McFadden).  The premise of the book is that summer—at least as far as food is concerned—is really three seasons.  Early summer includes tender young root vegetables and the tail end of the spring crops.  Midsummer is the season of melons, cucumbers, summer squash, several brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc), and green beans.  Late summer brings the full flush of tomatoes, peppers of all kinds, eggplant, sweet corn and shell beans.   Depending on where you live, his breakdown of the harvest will be slightly different from yours (in the Midwest, for example, I can get delicious local sweet corn all summer long), but in general, I love the idea behind his book.  I have always felt like “summer” was too vague a definition of the harvest.  Almost since I began teaching, my summer roster has included farmers’ market classes designated “Early,” “High,” and “Late” Summer.  Not only are the crops different, but each mini-season has a particular feel to it.  He captures and explains all of this very well.  Needless to say, I’m really enjoying this book.

I altered his farro and corn salad to suit my pantry.  He includes scallions, which I don’t tend to keep on hand.  But I always have red onion in my pantry…and I love it thinly shaved in salads.  The recipe calls for handfuls of basil and mint.  Unfortunately my basil had succumbed to a fungus the week before I ran across this recipe.  But I happened to have some lovely arugula—which is my usual stand in for basil during the spring and early summer months.  I thought it worked very well in this salad.  Finally, McFadden adds torn croutons (similar to those that I prepared for my BLAT salad a few posts back) to give some texture.  I didn’t have any of the right kind of bread thawed (and I was rushing to get dinner on the table), so I achieved a bit of crunch with a few lightly toasted and crumbled walnuts. They were just the thing.  And finally, I gilded the salad with a shower of crumbled Feta—whose salty, tangy presence makes one of the best summer salad garnishes imaginable.  I’m sure the original salad was good…but I loved my version.

This salad was not just delicious...  Like all good food, it was right for the moment.  It was filled with the vegetable fruits of the current season:  the last of the sweet corn, the final abundant flush of cherry tomatoes, and fresh mint from my garden (newly invigorated from a recent week of rain).  And it came together quickly on a day when I was short on time and much more in the mood to be out of doors enjoying the tail end of the warm summer weather than in a hot kitchen cooking.  I guess I'd have to say it was just about perfect food for the tail end of summer.  If you have the ingredients on hand...and you are still experiencing a spell of warm summer weather...you should definitely give it a try.    

 

Late Summer Farro Salad with Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, Mint & Walnuts

I have given measured amounts of all of the components of this salad because I know a lot of people like exact amounts, but this is definitely a “to taste” kind of salad.  Please view the measurements as guidelines and adjust to suit your taste…  More or less onion…  More or less mint…  Etc….

3 T. olive oil

2 cloves peeled garlic, lightly crushed

1/4 t. hot pepper flakes

1 c. pearled or semi-pearled farro, rinsed

4 c. water

1 t. kosher salt

3 or 4 ears of sweet corn, roasted in the husk or raw, as you prefer

1/2 of a small red onion (about 2 oz.)

1 pint (10 to 12 oz) cherry tomatoes (mixed colors, if available), halved

1/2 c. (2 oz.) walnuts, toasted and coarsely crumbled

a large handful of arugula (1 oz.)

a handful of mint leaves (10 to 12 grams…or about 2/3 cup)…to taste…

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 t. hot pepper flakes

1/2 t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c. (or so) olive oil

2 to 3 oz. coarsely crumbled Feta

In a wide saucepan with a tight fitting lid, warm the olive oil over moderate heat.  Add the garlic cloves and pepper flakes and gently cook for a few moments until the garlic starts to acquire a light golden color.  

Add the farro and stir to coat in the oil.  Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring pretty much constantly.  The farro will begin to darken and give off a toast-y aroma. 

Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce the heat to low.  Cook until the farro is tender, but still has texture—anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the type of farro you are using.  Let the farro sit off the heat for 5 minutes.  Drain well and spread on a sheet pan to cool.  If you’re in a hurry, place the sheet pan in the fridge.

If you are roasting the corn, you may do so while the farro cooks.  Place the corn in the husk directly on the rack of a 375° oven.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Remove the corn from the oven and using towels to grab the corn, peel the husks back and allow the corn to cool on a rack.  When cool enough to handle, remove the silks.  If using raw corn, simply remove the husks and silks.  Cut the kernels away from the cobs and use the back of your knife to scrape the cobs clean of the milky pulp still embedded in the cob.  You should have about 3 cups of kernels.

While the farro cooks and the corn roasts, cut the core out of the onion and slice very thinly lengthwise (preferably with a mandolin slicer).  You should have 1/3 to 1/2 cup loosely packed sliced red onion.  Place the onion in a bowl and cover with ice water.  Let sit for about 15 minutes.  Drain well and blot dry with paper towels.

When all the components are ready, place all of the ingredients except the olive oil and Feta in a large bowl.  Toss to combine.   Taste and adjust the seasonings so that the salad is vibrant.  Drizzle in the olive oil and toss.  Taste and adjust again.  Serve chilled or at a cool room temperature.  When ready to serve, mound on individual plates or a serving platter and scatter the Feta over all.   Serves 4 to 5.

Printable Version

White Bean Soup with Butternut Squash, Farro & Ham

After an unusually warm and dry winter, I was expecting more of the same for spring.  But so far, spring has been cool and wet.  And I love it.  I love the way the spring greens pop in the soft gray light...

...and I love the rain.  As always, I am looking forward to the new, fresh foods of spring.  But these cool days have put me in the mood for more substantial—and a bit unseasonal—fare. 

On one of our recent rainy days I was flipping through a favorite cookbook (One Good Dish by David Tanis)  looking for the details of a particular recipe when the book fell open to a picture of his "winter minestrone" (white bean soup with winter squash).  I have never made the soup that is pictured—rather that recipe was a springboard for a soup that has since become a favorite.  Either version would have been perfect for the chilly, drizzly day.

In addition to the white beans, the original soup included pasta, pancetta and what I thought was a rather skimpy amount of winter squash.  The first time I made the soup, I doubled the quantity of squash.  I also happened to have some chunks of the end of a Serrano ham in my freezer, so I replaced the pancetta with that.  Even though pancetta might be more common in minestrone, I love ham in a bean soup...and it was a delicious substitution.  I have since made it with ordinary American-style ham—which might not be as good as a fine air cured ham (like Serrano or Prosciutto), but was still delicious.  Finally, I got rid of the pasta altogether and added farro to the soup.  I discovered a few years ago how delicious farro can be in soup.  Moreover, it gives the soup a nice keeping quality that it doesn't have when made with pasta.  Pasta, if added to the entire batch, will become bloated and soggy as it sits (it needs to be cooked and stored separately and added to the leftovers as needed to avoid this).  Farro maintains its texture...even when the soup is kept for several days.

One of the things I like the most about this soup is the way the squash is roasted before adding it to the soup.  When diced squash is cooked in the soup, it can break up into the broth.  This is usually a desired quality, since it adds body and color to the soup.  But when roasted and added at the end it maintains a discrete presence.  The effect—both from a visual and a taste perspective—is very nice.   

For some reason I never got around to making this soup this past winter.   And since days when I'll be hungry for such a soup are dwindling, I decided to make it now.  If you happen to have a cool spring day in your future, you should make it.  I think you will find the combination of flavors and textures to be wonderfully satisfying.  And if you don’t make it now, be sure to save the recipe someplace where it will cross your line of vision next fall when winter squash begins to fill the markets once again.

White Bean Soup with Butternut Squash, Farro & Ham

3 T. olive oil, divided

3 to 3 1/2 oz. ham, cut in a 1/3-inch dice
1 medium onion (about 8 to 9 oz.), cut into small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. fennel seed, crushed
1/8 t. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 lb. Great Northern beans, soaked overnight in cold water, drained and rinsed
Water
1 lb. Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 c. pearled or semi-pearled farro

1 t. minced fresh rosemary

Olive oil for drizzling

In a soup pot, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally until browned in spots—about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add another tablespoon of olive oil, then add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds, and pepper flakes along with a pinch of salt.  Stir to coat in the fat.   Reduce the heat and gently sweat the onions until soft and tender—adding more oil if the pan seems dry—about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Add the beans and enough water to cover the beans by about an inch or so and bring to a simmer.  Maintain a simmer, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as necessary to keep the beans covered by an inch of liquid.  When the beans are about half cooked, season to taste with salt.  Continue to cook until the beans are very tender—about 45 minutes to an hour total cooking time. 

While the beans cook, prepare the squash and farro:

In a large bowl, toss the cubed squash with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet large enough to hold the squash in a snug single layer. Transfer to a 400° oven and roast, turning the squash once, until tender and caramelized in spots—about 30 minutes.  Set aside.

Cook the farro in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender—about 25 minutes.  Drain and spread on a baking sheet until needed.

When the beans are tender, add the squash, farro and rosemary, along with enough boiling water so that the soup elements are submerged and moving freely.  Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or so to allow the flavors to blend.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Ladle in to warm soup bowls and served drizzled with olive oil. 

Makes 2 to 2 1/2 quarts.  Recipe is easily doubled.

Note:  The soup will thicken as it sits.  Be ready to add more water when reheating on subsequent days. 

(Recipe adapted from Winter Minestrone in One Good Dish by David Tanis)

Printable Version

Farro with Butternut Squash, Kale & Pistachios

Anyone who cooks on a regular basis will tell you they feel like they get into culinary ruts.  The very notion of a rut implies somehow being stuck...or maybe being boring.  But the fact that we gravitate toward the familiar can be a good thing.  The pull of particular foods/ingredients...  favored styles or food cultures...   certain cookbooks/food magazines or blogs...   or a group of chefs/cooks whose recipes cause you stop and take a second look, is often the source of much deliciousness.  Recently, every single one of these bells went off for me when I saw Melissa Clark's recipe for Farro with Roasted Squash on the New York Times Cooking site. 

No matter what Clark had chosen to do with this set of ingredients, I'm pretty sure I would have liked the result....  I appreciate her style and her approach to food.  And I love farro and winter squash.  All of this together made me stop and look.  What inspired me to try my own spin on her recipe was the liquid she used to cook her farro:  apple cider.  I don't know why using cider in this way has never occurred to me (it happens to be a favored winter ingredient...I pretty much always have some in the fridge during the fall and winter months...).  What a great idea.  Cider adds subtle flavor, sweetness and acidity....and compliments the squash perfectly.  I love apples with winter squash. 

As usual, I departed from the original recipe in a couple of ways.  Instead of adding sugar and spices to the squash, I just tossed it with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Then, I added a generous quantity of caramelized red onions and some chopped pistachios to the finished farro.  Both of these added the subtle sweetness I had removed—and as a bonus, the pistachios added some nice textural interest. 

I also added some wilted Tuscan kale to the finished pilaf.  I think a scattering of arugula or mint instead (as in the original recipe) would have been nice, but one of my most favored culinary ruts is wilted greens with grains.... 

Finally, I served my pilaf with a dollop of labneh.  I tried the finished dish with the Feta crumbles—and this was good (goat cheese would be good too)—but found that I preferred the tangy contrast of yogurt to the salty contrast of the cheese.  If you are in the mood for something more salty, Feta might be the way to go.

It is worth observing that while the reason I originally stopped to examine Clark's recipe might be my own well-worn culinary path, that doesn't mean the resulting dish was boring in the slightest.  I found it to be totally delicious and satisfying.  As a matter of fact, it's the kind of thing I could happily cook and eat every day....

Farro with Winter Squash, Tuscan Kale & Pistachios

1 large or 2 small bunches (8 to 10 oz. total) Tuscan kale, stemmed (discard stems) and leaves cut cross-wise into 1-inch strips
About 4 T. olive oil, divided
1 medium to large red onion (8 to 10 oz.), halved and thinly sliced cross-wise
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/8 t. hot pepper flakes, or more, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb. Butternut squash, peeled, seeded halved and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (see note)
1 c. pearled or semi-pearled farro
1 c. apple cider
1 T. to 1 1/2 T. cider vinegar, to taste
1/4 c. pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
3 oz. Labneh, yogurt or Feta (in large chunks)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.  Add the kale and cook until just tender—about 5 to 7 minutes.  Drain the kale, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the blanching liquid.  Spread the kale on a baking sheet—or just spread out in a wide colander—and let cool. 

Warm 1 1/2 T. of olive oil in a wide sauté pan set over moderate heat.  Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt and the pepper flakes.  Cook until the onions are tender and slightly caramelized. If at any time the onions seem dry, add a bit more oil.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the kale and stir to coat in the oil and onions.  Cook over low heat until any water clinging to the kale has evaporated.  Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the squash with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and transfer to a 450° oven.  Roast until tender and caramelized—about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the squash over after about 15 to 20 minutes (wait to turn until the squash has begun to become golden on the bottom).  Keep warm until ready to assemble the pilaf.

While the squash, onions and kale cook, cook the farro.  Place the cider and reserved kale cooking liquid in a saucepan and check for salt.  Bring to a boil and add the farro.  Cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.  Cook until the farro is tender (but still has texture)—about 25 to 30 minutes.  Drain the farro and transfer to a large bowl. Add the kale/caramelized onions along with a tablespoon of cider vinegar.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper and vinegar.

To serve, spread half of the farro mixture on a large platter or individual serving plates.  Top with half of the squash and a scattering of pistachios.  Repeat this layering.  If using labneh or yogurt, serve with a dollop on the side or drizzle yogurt over the whole pilaf.  If using Feta or goat cheese, crumble the cheese over all.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve.  Serves 4. 

Note:  Cut the cavity portion of the squash into 1/2-inch wide wedges. Cut the halved "neck" portion cross-wise into 1/2-inch thick slices.  If you like, you can further cut these half circles in half—into "sticks" or quarters...as you prefer.  I like this dish best made with all cavity portions as I think these 'wedges' look best in the dish.  (I save the necks for a preparation that calls for a neat dice). 

(Adapted from New York Times Cooking)

Printable Version

Farro Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash & Grapes

In general, I don't make a habit of watching food TV.  If I see something on Food TV, it is most often because someone else is already watching and something particular catches my attention as I pass through the room.  Such was the case a little over a year ago when I happened to see Martha Stewart doing a show on grains.  Because I am always looking for new ways to work with grains I paused to take a look.  When she began to prepare a farro salad that featured roasted grapes, I was hooked and I stopped to watch.  It looked so good I made a mental note to make the salad...and then, as happens all too often, it slipped my mind. 

I'm not sure what it was that made me think of this salad again, but I finally got around to trying it...or I guess I should say, my adaptation of it...over the holidays.  It really was delicious.  I wanted to share the recipe then...but just ran out of time.  I admit that the best time to make this salad is in the late fall when the big, juicy, California red grapes are at their peak.  But since good quality grapes are available year round, I decided to go ahead and post it now.  If you're lucky, you can still find California grapes in the stores....  Furthermore, if you are trying to get your eating back under control after a holiday season of sugary excess, this salad, with its abundance of grains, greens, fruits and vegetables....and its appealing textures and flavors...would be a great addition to the plan.

I said I adapted the salad, but I really didn't change it too much.  The original recipe called for roasting the grapes for 45 minutes.  Since I wanted them to still have a bit of body and texture, I reduced that by quite a bit.  I also wanted my salad to be substantial enough to serve as a meatless entrée, so I added some roasted butternut squash to the mix.  This turned out to be a particularly nice addition...lending not only more substance, but also complimenting the sweet character of the grapes.  As a final touch, I topped my version with some toasted nuts...pecans on one occasion, and walnuts on another...for added richness and crunch. 

Since this is the beginning of the year, and some may have found themselves here while trying to fulfill a resolution to cook more real food, I want to take a moment to point out where you can learn more about the basic elements in this recipe.  If you have never cooked with farro before, I wrote about my introduction to the delicious world of farro a couple of years ago.  In a later post, I wrote about the most common cooking methods.  For this recipe, you will be cooking the farro just as you would pasta...in boiling salted water.  If you don't think you like whole grains, farro is a perfect place to start...it is every bit as friendly and easy to love as pasta.

If you are new to roasting vegetables...or have struggled to get your roasted vegetables just right...I wrote a detailed post several years ago on how to roast vegetables.  After reading that post, the method used in this recipe—roasting the butternut squash and red onions together first...and then adding the grapes towards the end—will make sense.  Doing it this way insures that the butternut squash and red onions (which take longer to cook than the grapes) will be tender and well-caramelized and that the grapes will still have substance and juice.  Don't worry if the red onions get a little crispy...this will add tender crunch and subtle sweetness.  If some of the onions threaten to burn though, either remove the ones that are getting too dark with a pair of tongs, or tuck them under a grape...or a chunk of squash...where they will be protected from the heat of the oven. 

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.  If you like grains...or want to like grains...you will find a lot of recipes to experiment with here on my blog.  You can click on a specific grain that interests you in the sidebar at the right...or go to the recipes page and scroll down to the grains section.  I hope that you will find something that appeals to you...but if not, check back occasionally.  I love grains and towards the end of February will be teaching an all new class devoted entirely to the subject.  One or two of those recipes are certain to wind up here.    

Farro Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash & Grapes

2/3 c. pecans or walnuts

4 c. cubed (1/2-inch) butternut squash, (from a 2 lb. squash, peel and seed before dicing)

3 to 4 T. olive oil

1 T. Brown sugar

1 medium red onion (about 8 to 10 oz.), halved, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick

3 c. large red, seedless grapes, halved (about 14 oz.)

1 c. pearled or semi-pearled farro

2 T. sherry vinegar

2 oz. baby kale, arugula, baby spinach or other young, hearty green

Salt & pepper

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Spread the nuts on a small baking sheet and toast in a preheated 350° oven until golden and fragrant...about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a plate to cool.  When cool enough to handle, break the nuts into coarse pieces, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Set aside.  Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

In a large bowl, toss the squash and onions with enough olive oil to coat and season with salt, pepper and brown sugar.  Spread in a snug single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized, stirring once and being careful not to tear the squash—about 20 to 30 minutes (see note).  Toss the grapes with a tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter over the caramelized squash and onions.  Return the pan to the oven and continue to roast, stirring once, until the grapes are just tender...another 10 to 20 minutes or so.  Set aside. 

While the vegetables and grapes roast, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the farro and simmer until tender (it should still have texture)...about 25 minutes.  Drain well.   Transfer to a large wide bowl.  Add the vegetables and sherry vinegar and toss to combine.  Because the salad is to be served slightly warm, or at room temperature, the farro and vegetables need to cool a bit.  This is best accomplished by spreading it out in the bowl a bit (as opposed to mounding it in the center).  You can also spread the mixture out on the baking sheet the vegetables were roasted on (return everything to the bowl to finish the salad).

When the farro has cooled to the point you want, add the baby kale and toss to combine.  Taste and correct the seasoning with vinegar, salt & pepper.  If the salad seems dry, drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Transfer to a platter or individual plates and scatter the goat cheese and nuts over all and serve. 

Serves 4 as an entrée....6 to 8 as a side.

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

Note:  The length of time you roast the squash before adding the grapes will depend on the firmness of the grapes.  Softer, riper grapes will only need about 10 minutes in the oven...so they will be added when the squash and onions have been in the oven about 30 minutes (a little more or less, depending on your oven...you want them to be tender and beginning to nicely caramelize).  If your grapes are very firm, they might take as long as 20 minutes.  The squash and onions should be just beginning to caramelize when you add these firmer grapes.  Basically the total roasting time should be about 40 minutes...adding the grapes at the optimal point so they are just tender when the squash and onions are well caramelized.  

Printable Version

Farro with Broccoli & Green Olives

Somehow I found myself with a bit of a glut of local broccoli earlier this week.  Things like this happen during the growing season...with corn, summer squash, tomatoes, etc...so it's always nice to have a recipe or two to turn to that will use up masses of these seasonal super-producers.  I don't know about you, but I want to fully enjoy them while they are abundant, fresh and delicious.  The farro pilaf I'm posting today is a perfect way to do just that.  Even if you don't happen to have  a lot of broccoli on hand, this pilaf is so good it makes a great excuse to stock up next time you're at the store or the farmers' market. 

As the dinner hour approached on Monday, I knew I wanted to use up my broccoli.  I was leaning toward the broccoli salad that I posted last spring since I was pretty sure I had all of the ingredients on hand.  As it turned out I didn't, but even so it wasn't really what I was in the mood for.  I was feeling hungrier than usual and a salad just wasn't going to cut it.  I thought about pasta (I always think about pasta), but finally decided I wanted a big bowl of farro instead. 

I had no intention of posting this recipe—in fact, I wasn't even sure exactly what the final dish was going to look like until I finished making it.  And, as is sometimes the case, it was so tasty and satisfying I wanted to share it.  For this reason I don't have any in process pictures to share.  But I have posted enough pilaf/grain salad recipes that any questions about the process can probably be answered by taking a peek at one or two of those.

This pilaf has very few ingredients—it is in fact essentially the same list of ingredients needed to make the aforementioned broccoli salad.  In addition to the farro it includes chickpeas, broccoli, spring onions, olives, and arugula.  I mentioned that I didn't really have everything I needed to make that salad.  When I finally got around to looking at what I did have on hand, I discovered that I only had a small handful of arugula left...and very uncharacteristically for me, I was all out of black olives.  Since I often use arugula as an herb in the spring (where one might use basil in the summer), I decided to coarsely chop what I did have and add it to the pilaf.  Instead of the black olives, I used some delicious garlic-marinated green olives (probably my favorite item on the Whole Foods olive bar—unfortunately I have no idea what variety of olive they are).  At the last minute, I decided the pilaf needed a little sweetness, so I added a handful of golden raisins.  They were just the right touch—not only adding that needed sweetness but interesting texture as well. 

I expected that the pilaf would need some lemon to finish, but it didn't.  The olives were so briny and tangy, no lemon was necessary.  If your olives don't have enough punch, you should have some lemon at the ready.  If you happen to have some preserved lemon, a few pieces—cut in a fine julienne...or minced—would add the right note.  Garlic too (finely minced), would be a good addition if your olives are milder than mine were. 

The pilaf was just want I wanted—a substantial and satisfying meal that incorporated a large quantity of broccoli.  Not only did it make a delicious late spring dinner, the leftovers made a pretty fine lunch the next day.  And since it needs no reheating or final assembly, it would make a great addition to a picnic basket, a boxed lunch or a pot luck dinner.

Leftovers...for lunch, the next day...

  

Farro with Broccoli & Green Olives

2/3 c. pitted green olives, quartered
1/2 c. golden raisins
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed 
2 T. Olive oil, plus more to finish

1 bunch spring onions—white and some of the green—trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 c. pearled or semi-pearled farro, rinsed
2 c. water
3/4 to 1 lb. broccoli crowns, cut into large florets (stems split so no thicker than 1/3-inch)
a big handful arugula, stemmed and roughly chopped if the leaves are large
salt & pepper, to taste

Place the first three ingredients in a large bowl.  Unless you have very lemony or tangy olives (like I did) add the lemon juice.  Toss to combine and set aside to marinate....giving it a stir occasionally while the farro cooks.

Sweat the onion, along with a pinch of salt, in the olive oil until the onion is tender—about 5 minutes. Add the farro and continue to cook and stir until the farro is well-coated in the fat, lightly toasted and hot through—2 or 3 minutes. Add the water, along with some salt (start with 1/2 t.), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook, until tender but still firm in the center—about 25 minutes. Let the farro rest, covered, off of the heat for 5 minutes.  When the farro is done, drain off the excess liquid, add to the bowl with the marinated olives and chickpeas.  Toss to combine.  Spread the on a sheet pan to cool. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Salt generously.  Add the broccoli and cook until just tender—it's ok if it still has a bit of crunch.  Drain and spread on kitchen towels to cool.   

Return the farro mixture along with the cooled broccoli and arugula to the bowl and and toss to combine.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  If farro seems dry, drizzle in some olive oil.  If the pilaf seems dull or flat, add a generous squeeze of lemon.  Serves 4 as an entrée. 

Notes:  

• To make the pilaf into a more substantial meal, serve accompanied by a spoonful of ricotta or labneh...or a wedge of cheese.  
• To "refresh" any leftovers, toss with a bit of olive oil (to add moisture and sheen) before serving.  Also, it is always a good idea to taste and correct the seasoning (salt and lemon) before serving leftovers since the seasoning tends to become muted as time passes.
• For an alternate presentation, increase the amount of arugula to 2 large handfuls and don't add to the pilaf.  Instead, dress the arugula separately with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper and a little olive oil.  Arrange the dressed arugula on the plate(s) and mound the farro/broccoli mixture on top.

Printable Recipe

Longing for Spring....Salmon with Asparagus & Peas

I am so hungry for Spring.  Literally.  I love root vegetables....   winter squash and sweet potatoes...    hearty soups and pastas....    meltingly tender braised meats....  But I've had my fill for the season.  I'm ready to say "good-bye" 'til next year.  I'm ready for the green foods of spring.

It started a few weeks ago with the first of the artichokes.  Then just last week—in preparation for a class—I purchased my first asparagus of the year.  I would have passed it by if it hadn't been for the class.  But as it turned out, it was unexpectedly beautiful.  So beautiful that I purchased some extra so we could have it for dinner the night before my class.    

The dish I prepared was one I was teaching the next day: a simple and quick pan seared salmon with a buttery ragout of asparagus and peas.  It tasted really good.  So good I purchased more asparagus so we could have it again for dinner last night.  We enjoyed it the second time with a simple pilaf of farro with herbs...the first time I prepared it, I served it with buttered new potatoes.  It was delicious with both.  I'm sure it would be fine with just about any simply prepared starch.

And "simple" really is the point of this dish.  There are only a few ingredients—it is the techniques that make them shine.  The flavor of the ragout gets a boost from being prepared in the same pan in which the fish is seared (effectively deglazing the pan as it cooks).  The other thing that makes this ragout special is that it is bound with a quick emulsified butter sauce.  You could of course simply toss blanched asparagus and peas with some melted butter and herbs and it would be delicious, but understanding how to take these same ingredients and turn them a light, creamy ragout raises the level of this dish to elegant. 

An emulsified butter sauce is one in which the butter is held in a unified suspension with a liquid.  This suspension is not a natural state—if you simply stir melted butter into a hot liquid, the two components will immediately separate into liquid on the bottom and melted butterfat on the top.  Because this post is about what is essentially a quick and easy weeknight meal, I'm not going to go into a long explanation of emulsified sauces.  Rather, I will simply share what makes this particular preparation work:  If you boil roughly equal quantities of a liquid (water or stock) and butter together, the action of the boil will bind the butter and liquid together in an emulsified state.  You must remove the pan from the heat as soon as the emulsion comes together because prolonged boiling will cause the liquid component to evaporate...which will throw the liquid and fat out of balance.  If there is more butter than liquid (or, more liquid than butter), the action of the boil will cause the butter and liquid to separate. 

Knowing just this small piece of information will allow you to create a quick creamy butter sauce for any cooked vegetable—without a lot of fuss.  The process works whether you are reheating a vegetable you blanched ahead of time, or—as in my asparagus and pea ragout—cooking the vegetables and finishing them all in one step.  If you are interested in a more detailed explanation of emulsified sauces, I can recommend either Jacques Pépin's Complete Techniques or Madeleine Kamman's The New Making of a Cook....both are excellent resources for classic technique.

  

I love cooking and serving this particular ragout with salmon.  It would however be equally good with a boneless chicken breast...or a pork loin chop...or some other kind of fish or seafood (scallops would be especially delicious).  One of the things I love about the salmon though is the charming combination of the pink of the salmon with the green of the early spring vegetables.  It really is beautiful.  And although I think taste is the most important thing, I like my food to be beautiful too. 

The first time I made this dish I was able to use the tail end of my stash of frozen peas from last year's farmers' market.  Last night I used store-bought...which were really just fine.  But my dwindling supply of stored foods from last season is just one more indication that it's time for Spring and for the new market season to begin.  And as delicious as this was with the store-bought asparagus, I can't wait for the new local crop to come in.

Seared Salmon with Asparagus, Peas & Fresh Herbs

 

4 filets skinned salmon (4 to 6 oz. each)

Salt & Pepper

olive oil

3/4 lb. asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1-inch lengths on a sharp diagonal

Cutting the asparagus on a sharp diagonal will expose a greater
proportion of the interior--which allows it to cook more quickly

1 c. peas (thawed, if using frozen)

1/2 c. water or stock

4 T. unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 to 3 T. minced chives or parsley...or a combination of chives, parsley and tarragon

Ingredients for two.

Heat a sauté pan (large enough to comfortably hold all of the fish and one with a tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat.  While the pan is heating, season the fish on both sides with salt & pepper.  Add a thin film of oil to the pan.  When the oil is very hot, add the fish, skinned side up.  Cook until nicely browned—about 2 to 3 minutes, regulating the heat as necessary to prevent smoking but at the same time, maintaining an active sizzle.  Turn and cook the fish, until barely opaque in the center

—another 3 minutes or so (reducing the heat further, if necessary).  Remove the fish from the pan and keep warm.

Pour off the oil from the pan and let the pan cool briefly.   Add the asparagus and peas to the pan along with the water and a generous pinch of salt.  Cover the pan and cook the vegetables at a rapid simmer until just tender—2 to 5 minutes, depending on the age of the vegetables.  Increase the heat to high, remove the lid and add the butter and the herbs.  (If the liquid appears to have reduced significantly while the vegetables cooked, add some more water to the pan.  But be careful, the total volume of liquid in the pan before adding the butter should only be slightly more than 1/4 cup.)  Boil, shaking the pan to bind the ingredients together, until the buttery sauce thickens and becomes foamy—20 to 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat. 

Transfer the fish to individual serving plates and divide the vegetables over all along with their buttery sauce.  Serve immediately.

Note:   The timing of the cooking of the fish in this recipe assumes a thin (1/2-inch thick) filet of salmon.  If you have a thicker filet, it will take longer to cook (a good rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch of thickness)—you may finish it on the stove over a lower heat, or transfer the fish to a 375° to 400° oven to finish (either in the sauté pan, if it is oven-proof...or in a small baking dish of some kind).

(Recipe inspired by "Asparagus Stew" in Jacques Pépin's Complete Techniques)

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Buttered Farro with Herbs

Olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
1 c. pearled or semi-pearled farro, rinsed
2 c. water
Salt
1 1/2 to 2 T. unsalted butter
1/3 c. minced fresh herbs—a mixture of chives, parsley and arugula (or basil) is nice

Sweat the shallot, along with a pinch of salt, in some olive oil until the onion is tender—about 5 minutes.   Add the farro and continue to cook and stir until the farro is well-coated in the fat, lightly toasted and hot through—2 or 3 minutes. Add the water, along with some salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook, until tender but still firm in the center—about 25 minutes. Let the farro rest, covered, off of the heat for 5 minutes.

Drain the farro (if necessary), saving the cooking liquid.  Return the farro to the pan.  Add the butter and herbs and stir until the butter is melted.  If the farro seems tight or sticky, stir in some of the cooking liquid. Taste and correct the seasoning and serve. Serves 4.

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