Warm Tuscan Farro Salad

Sue is fresh back from Italy (just this week), and we spent the afternoon talking about her adventures and the wonderful meals she ate while criss-crossing the Tuscany countryside.  We prepared the red pepper dip and left it to chill in the refrigerator while we drank wine, and Sue did a “show and tell” of her trip.  If she couldn’t be there, then retelling the stories made it seem like she was. Luckily, Meg is a good listener and lives vicariously through Sue’s meanderings.

Warm Tuscan Farro Salad

The warm Tuscan farro salad was a wonderful taste of Italy. Neither of us had previously prepared farro, and this salad was a perfect intro. We are so fortunate to have multiple sources for good produce and took full advantage when shopping for this meal. It is one of our quirks to get excited about fruits and vegetables.

 

Warm Tuscan Farro Salad with basil-lemon vinaigrette

Cuisine At Home, April 2013

6 servings

 

For the Farro, Boil:

3 ¼ cups water
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 cups semi-pearled dry farro, rinsed (12 oz.)

 

Sauté:

½ cup sliced shallots
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 cups chopped kale (5 oz.)
¼ cup water
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup shaved pecorino (1.5 oz.)
Minced zest of 1 lemon

 

For the Vinaigrette, Whisk:

½ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. kosher salt
Black pepper to taste

 

For the farro, boil 3 ¼ cups water and ½ tsp. salt in a saucepan. Add farro, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 15-20 minutes; remove from heat and drain any excess water.

 

Sauté shallots, garlic, and pepper over medium-high heat, 1 minute. Stir in kale and ¼ cup water; cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, vinegar, and ½ tsp. salt. Stir in farro, pecorino, and zest.

 

For the vinaigrette, whisk together basil, ¼ cup oil, and lemon juice; season with ½ tsp. salt and black pepper. Toss salad with vinaigrette to coat.

Sauteed kale and tomatoes

Smoky Red Pepper & Feta Dip
Yield: 3 ½ cups
Source: www.thetastefulolive.com

4 red bell peppers
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled (we used 4 roasted garlic cloves)
1 Tbsp. Bourbon-Smoked Paprika (we substituted smoked hot paprika)
2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Char peppers directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag for 10 minutes.

Peel, seed and quarter peppers. Puree peppers, oil, garlic and cheese in processor. Season with sea salt and pepper. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.

 

Red pepper dip with crostini

Sue had been drinking Chianti for over a week and insisted on repeating the one we liked from the Mangia, Mangia Bella Italia posting earlier. Turns out she had a bottle from a Total Wines class we took together. Now we have to buy more!

La Castellina Squarcialupi, Chianti Classico Reserva, 2007

Sue took a cooking class while in Florence which featured a side trip to the Mercato Centrale San Lorenzo, where she sampled balsamic vinegars, parmesan cheeses and olive oils (heaven). She brought home two bottles of balsamic vinegar, one of which we used to adorn fresh strawberries tonight. Meg brought an 18 year old balsamic from her stash, and we conducted our own tasting with and without strawberries.

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:

This farro salad is a great make ahead for either a picnic or leftovers during the work week. The farro is slightly chewy and nutty. It cooks up in 10 minutes, and sautéing the vegetables takes almost no time. It would also be good for a pot luck party where the food sits out. It is very fresh tasting and pretty. 

We halved the recipe for the red pepper dip and still had quite a bit left over. We used roasted garlic instead of fresh, smoked hot paprika (instead of bourbon smoked paprika) and added a dash of Sriracha hot sauce.  We foresee using this dip as a pasta sauce, in deviled eggs, on grilled vegetables, or on roasted chicken. Use your imagination. Once you taste this, you will find other uses for it, too. We are going to try freezing it and will let you know.

Hail to balsamic!! There really is a difference. . . thick, syrupy, sweet, tart and lovely by the spoonful. We tasted both vinegars by themselves and the clear winner was Sue’s hand-carried 12 year old, aged in juniper balsamic. We have included a picture of the bottle and if you have a friend going to Italy, have them bring back a case and be sure to let us know. It is the food equivalent  of gold.

Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward. ~Terri Guillemets