Lemony Farro, Corn and Arugula Salad by Colleen

 

Lemony Farro, Corn and Arugula Salad by Colleen

Hi Barb ---

William and I went to lunch recently where I had farrotto, which is risotto made with farro, an ancient grain similar to quinoa or bulgar. Like Cacio e Pepe, it has reached a critical mass lately and appearing everywhere.  [in California]

So I bought a package and decided to make a tabbouleh type salad. I scoured the Internet and found a recipe for scallops on a farro arugula salad. Well, no one here but me likes scallops, so I decided to adapt the recipe for just a salad.

Lemony Farro, Corn and Arugula Salad

1 package farro (mine had 2 1/4 cups of dry grain)
1 5 oz package fresh arugula
2 ears of corn
Fresh chives ( 1-2 tablespoons, chopped)
1-2 lemons
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup EVOO - good quality [Olive Oil]

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the farro according to the package directions. Basically throw in the farro and simmer until tender about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the kernels from the corn and put in large bowl. Chop up about 1-2 Tablespoons of fresh chives and put in bowl. In a separate bowl or container put the zest and juice from the lemons (1 if large, two if small - my tree has small lemons right now). Add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and lots of fresh pepper. Whisk in about 1/4 cup of olive oil. Taste the dressing and adjust seasonings as needed.

Pick through the arugula and take out any yellowed leaves. Coarsely chop.

When the farro is cooked, drain and add to bowl with the corn and chives. Immediately toss with the dressing so the farro soaks up the dressing and the heat from the farro softens the corn. When the farro has cooled a bit, but is still retaining a little heat, toss in the arugula so it wilts a bit.


Can serve at room temp or chilled. Be sure to taste and adjust seasonings as needed. This is a really healthy salad. Farro is a good source of fiber and protein. For extra kick, you could add some toasted pine nuts or kalamata or picoline olives. William is not part of the fan base for those briny flavors, so I left out. You might also add some drained and chopped sun dried tomato for color or perhaps some roasted red pepper.

I tried cherry tomato with the salad and that did not work. I think you could many directions with the farro. The original recipe called for garlic instead of chives, but I thought the chives would be nicer with the corn. You could also add feta or goat cheese or chopped chicken breast to move this from a side to a main.

                 ---- Colleen

P.S. Steve really liked this. William tried it and said he liked it but maybe he was just being polite. I thought it was pretty good for a first effort.