It was a snowy day on Saturday, though not the raging blizzard we were expecting. The predicted foot of snow turned out to be 4 inches, and I didn't even have to shovel the south-facing sidewalk. All the snow just melted right off it.Still, I didn't want to leave the house unnecessarily, which meant cobbling together something for lunch with what I had on hand.
That turned out to be farro, apples, sliced almonds, a handful of dried cherries, dehydrated toasted onions, spring mix lettuce and a spicy Asian-inspired vinaigrette that was left over from my book group dinner party on Thursday. I boiled 2 cups farro, toasted the almonds, sauteed the apples briefly in a little olive oil with some dried thyme, rehydrated the onions, and tossed it all with the vinaigrette.
There's enough left for lunch later this week, too! I bought some cheese today to go with it. I think some crumbles of goat cheese will work really nicely with it.
Farro? Grain of the Roman Legions says The Internets. Much to learn about this new-to-me grain. Like what's the difference between farro and spelt. And then there's this: (oy)
ReplyDeleteThere is some confusion about the difference between farro, emmer, and spelt. According to the United States Department of Agriculture's Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), farro is listed as a common name for Triticum aestivum L. subsp. spelta, or spelt, and Triticum turgidum L. subsp. dicoccon, also called emmer wheat. It has been suggested that the name was used in different parts of Italy to describe different types of wheat, leading to this confusion. When cooking, however, it is important to note that farro and spelt may not be interchangeable in all recipes, so it is important to use the grain that is called for.
I should look more closely at the package to see what it says. You can make the same salad with barley, which I like as well. This has a nice, nutty flavor, and it doesn't get mushy.
ReplyDeleteCostco was selling it, so I grabbed a bag to try. I've had a similar salad in a restaurant and really liked it.