spring farmer’s market farro bowl

bright green season

I’m a huge farro fan, and its my go-to grain for bulking up salads (kale and farro salad) and soups and as a base for seasonal grain bowls. It has a nutty flavor and is deliciously chewy. Farro brings me the same feeling of comfort I get from eating pasta, but is more hearty and nourishing than pasta. Its a good source of fiber, plant-based protein, iron, and other nutrients (though as a wheat it does contain gluten).

Cooking farro could not be simpler. I cook farro like pasta: bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the farro, cook until tender, and then drain.

what exactly is farro?

The term ‘farro’ is actually quite confusing. Farro refers to the grain of three types of wheat: spelt (Triticum spelta), emmer (Triticum dioccum), and einkorn (Triticum monococcum). Emmer is the most commonly cultivated farro in Italy and is what is sold as ‘farro’ in the United States.

To make it more confusing, there are three processed forms of farro:

• pearled: the most commonly sold form in grocery stores; the entire bran is removed and the quickest to cook (~15 minutes)
• semipearled: the bran is partially removed and takes longer than pearled to cook
• whole: contains the grain’s entire husk and bran; contains the most nutrients but takes the longest to cook; requires overnight soaking prior to cooking

spring farmer’s market bounty

A recent trip to my local farmer’s market, with stalls brimming with spring produce, inspired this recipe. Don’t think of this as a firm recipe, more as a guideline – farro tossed with pesto and quick roasted spring vegetables, and finished with a handful of crunchy seeds, some tangy cheese, and a squeeze of lemon. I decided to whip up a batch of bright green arugula pesto to match the bright green leaves that are now emerging on maples and birches in our surrounding woods. For some people, arugula pesto can taste quite sharp, but you could mellow it out by substituting fresh herbs for half of the arugula. Or substitute with whatever type of pesto you have on hand. Same goes for the veggies- roast fennel, spring turnips, broccoli or leeks; cook peas or spinach until just tender.

Print Pin Recipe

spring farmer’s market grain bowl

Use this recipe as a guide for what spring produce you have on hand: farro tossed with pesto and topped with roasted spring vegetables, tangy cheese, crunchy seeds, and a squeeze of lemon.

Course: Dinner

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 4

Author: Beet Season

Ingredients

• 1½ c farro
• 2 carrots
• 3 small beets peeled
• 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 radishes sliced
• 4 oz feta or goats cheese crumbled
• ¼ c roasted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ c fresh herbs chopped (parsley, dill, basil, cilantro or mint)
• juice of ½ lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

arugula pesto

• 2 c packed arugula can replace up to 1 c of arugula with mixed tender herbs
• 1 tsp white miso
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
• ⅓ c extra virgin olive oil
• fine sea salt

Instructions

• Cook the farro: bring a pot of well salted water to a boil, add farro and cook until tender (~15 minutes for pearled farro). Drain and allow to cool slightly.
• Roast the veggies: preheat oven to 425°. Cut carrots, beets, asparagus, or other root vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Toss beets and carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread in even layer on baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, add asparagus, toss to coat with oil, and return to oven for another 5 minutes, until the asparagus is just tender.
• Make the pesto: in blender or food processor combine all pesto ingredients. Blend until arugula is finely chopped and pesto is smooth. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, or olive oil as needed.
• Assemble: in large serving bowl toss farro with pesto. Add roasted vegetables and mix. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Top with sliced radishes, cheese, pumpkin seeds, herbs, and lemon juice.