This is a post about farro.
People have been enjoying farro for a very long time. Farro images can be found on the walls of the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. The Egyptians stocked the tombs of their leaders with all the good stuff they would need in the afterlife–including the best foods. For them, that “you can’t take it with you” ethos just didn’t cut it. That they wanted to take farro with them into the next world seems to me to be a pretty strong endorsement of farro.
Don’t know if you like farro? Farro is a whole grain in the wheat family. It’s protein-, fiber- and vitamin B-rich, so it is good for you. It is also a cinch to prepare. You boil it. Period.
And the taste? Farro tastes a bit like brown rice but nuttier in taste and chewier in texture, or, as a National Public Radio writer described it, farro has “cashew notes and undertones of cinnamon.” That NPR description made me laugh. It sounded like one of those pretentious wine reviews. You know the ones. The wine reviewer waxes poetic and describes all the “notes” of the vintage—raspberry, oak, cheesecake…whatever.
Here is a great farro dish. This hearty farro salad has a bit of everything–al dente farro, sweet golden raisins, green Castelvetrano olives with their distinctive briny flavor, and an abundance of glorious walnuts. And, did I mention a wonderful honey dressing?
I particularly enjoyed the satisfying mouth feel of the combination of farro and the coarsely chopped toasted walnuts. I think you will, too.
This recipe was featured in this month’s Food and Wine Magazine’s 40th-anniversary special edition as one of its 40 best-ever recipes. The original recipe appeared in the magazine in 2003 as a “salad of the month” pick and was the creation of Heidi Swanson of the 101 Cookbooks blog.
You need to add this great salad to your cooking repertoire. Like the pharaohs, you’ll want to take it with you wherever you’re planning on having a great meal.
Here is my adaptation of the recipe. Be sure to check out other great farro recipes that have been posted on Blue Cayenne here, here, here, and here.
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