Blue Cayenne

What in the heck is farro?

When I first (mis)heard the term on the radio while driving, my distracted mind went in all sorts of wrong directions—a bitter Woody Allen misalliance, a dark Coen Brothers comedy that gave   the Minnesota expression “you betcha” new meaning when used in conjunction with the operation of a wood chipper… It was that kind of day.

Then I got serious and discovered that farro is a grain. In fact, it is a pretty important grain in that it was one of the earliest forms of wheat to be cultivated and became the most important  grain in the Mediterranean area until Roman times. Farro is also called Emmer Wheat.

So, why do you care? First, farro is good for you. It is a whole grain and has twice the fiber and protein of modern wheat. It is a true superfood. Secondly, it has a nutty and delicious flavor and, thirdly, and not unimportantly, you can buy it at Costco. Cooked in a soup, it retains it shape and gives a great chewey texture reminiscent of barley to meatless soups and other dishes. Since Costco is unforgiving for those of us who shop for one, I now own a four-pound bag of farro. You can expect to see other farro dishes on Blue Cayenne. From what I see on the Internet, farro can be used in salads, pilafs, stuffings, breakfast grains, desserts and more.

This recipe was adapted from one published recently in the NY Times.

Recipe: Farro and Bean Soup

1  1/2 C. dry red beans, kidney beans, pintos or borlottis, rinsed and picked over for stones (I used Rancho Gordo Rio Zape red beans)

1 C. farro, rinsed

2 T. extra-virgin olive  oil, plus more for drizzling on soup

1 large onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 bouquet garni with a few springs of fresh parsley, thyme, a bay leaf and a parmesan rind)

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 small stalk celery, diced

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into half lengthwise, cleaned and sliced thin

Salt

6 sage leaves, chopped, plus more for serving

1  14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice

1 T. tomato paste

1 15-ounce can of  tomato sauce

Freshly ground pepper

2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Freshly grated Parmesan (or Asagio) for serving

Directions:

Combine dry beans and farro in a bowl with 1 1/2 quarts of water and let soak overnight.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pan and saute one half of chopped onions until soft (about 5 minutes). Add one-half the minced garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Then, add the soaked beans, farro, and your bouquet garni to the pan along with the water you used to soak the beans. Add an additional 1 1/2 quarts of water to the pan and bring the mixture to a slow boil. If foam forms, skim it off. Reduce the heat and cover the soup and simmer it for one hour.

While the soup is simmering, heat remaining one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and add onion, carrots, leeks, celery and a teaspoon (or more) of salt to the pan. Cook until the vegetables are tender–about 5 minutes. When vegetables are soft(ish) add remaining garlic and the chopped  sage to the pan. Stir and cook until garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add tomatoes and their juices.  Salt to taste and continue to cook. Stir this mixture until tomatoes have cooked down slightly.

Add vegetable mixture to the farro and beans in the large soup pan. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce and salt to taste. Simmer soup for 45 minutes to an hour until the soup thickens. Add pepper. Adjust salt. Remove bouquet garni.

Stir in the parsley and additional chopped sage (if desired), Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan over each bowl of soup. Enjoy.

Cook’s Note: I used Rancho Gordo heirloom beans for this soup. Rancho Gordo beans are available at some health food stores and online.

This is one of the appetizers people were eating around the holidays in 1984, thirty-one years ago. The recipe was featured in Bon Appetit as part of an elegant Thanksgiving menu. I haven’t made these in a very long time but decided to make them again for New Year’s Eve. They’re wonderful. The glaze is sweet with a bit of a spicy bite provided by the cayenne.

Happy New Year to you all. Thank you for reading Blue Cayenne.

Recipe: Glazed Spiced Nuts
1/3 C. sugar
1/4 C. unsalted butter
1/4 C. fresh orange juice
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 t. gound cinnamon
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. ground mace
1 pound mixed unsalted nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, unblanched almonds, cashews)

Directions:
Heat sugar, butter, orange juice (I used clementine juice), salt, cinnamon, cayenne and mace in a large pan on the stove at low heat. Heat until butter and sugar melt, stirring often. Increase heat to medium and stir in nuts. Stir until nuts are thoroughly mixed with the sugar-butter-spice mixture.

Line a large cookie pan (one with sides) with aluminum foil and pour nut mixture into foil-lined pan. Spread the nuts so that they are on a single layer. Bake on the center rack in a preheated 250 degree F. oven for one hour. Stir nuts every fifteen minutes.

Remove from oven and pour nut mixture on a large sheet of foil and let nuts cool. Be sure to stir them with a fork to keep them from sticking together as they cool.

If you don’t eat these on the first day, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to five days. If they are sticky when you want to eat them, reheat at 250 degrees F. on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes or until crisp.

Cook’s Note: These nuts are wonderful stuffed in dates. They would be a great substitute for the plain walnuts called for in the “Best Dates in the Parade” recipe I posted recently. See the site category list.

Warm, fuzzy Norman Rockwell images of American family celebrations aside, my mother always served jellied cranberry sauce straight out of the can at holiday meals. If your mother did, too, the lines the can made on the sauce are no doubt indelibly imprinted upon your conscious memory.

I remember that we always carefully sliced the sauce and delivered it quivering onto our plates next to the candied sweet potatoes and the green jello.

I see that canned jellied cranberry sauce is still for sale in my local supermarket. I guess it still has a nostalgic mid-century Americana vibe at some Thanksgiving tables. You know. June Cleaver in the apron. Ward dithering in the background. Wally and the Beav, napkins tucked into their collars, punching each other in the upper arm while salivating at the prospect of an indulgent Thanksgiving meal complete with quivering jellied cranberry sauce and green jello.

This is my answer to the canned stuff. I’ve made this cranberry relish forever. Well, actually, I’ve made this since 1969. That is the date on the recipe pasted in my cookbook. The recipe is adapted from the original recipe from the Los Angeles Times.

You are on your own to find a substitute for the green jello…or not.

Recipe: Cranberry Relish

1 lb. cranberries
2 C. sugar
1 C. water
1  two-and-a-half inch stick of cinnamon
2 medium apples, pared and thinly sliced
Grated peel of 1 lemon
Grated peel of 2 tangerines
3 tangerines, peeled,separated into segments and seeded

Directions:

Wash and drain cranberries. In a heavy saucepan mix cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, apples, and grated peel of lemon and tangerines. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Cranberry skins should pop and apples should turn transparent. Cool and transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in segmented tangerines. Chill thoroughly. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.