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Farro Piccolo Salad

Anson Mills Farro Piccolo brings party time to a bowl of vegetables.
difficulty:
yield:

6 side dish portions

time:

About 20 minutes, not including the farro cooking time

introduction

We all know raw or minimally cooked vegetables and whole grains are good for us. Sometimes we hear it so much that mealtime prospects start to seem bleak, almost punitive, and we long for fried bologna and mustard on white. But after we threw this snappy salad together—tiny vegetables and herbs consorting with Anson Mills Farro Piccolo in a bracing vinaigrette—things brightened up. With its flavorful and textural joie de vivre, the farro imbibes a cocktail of light vegetable juices, lemon, and olive oil—with delightful, no-guilt results.

This particular construction could, of course, be applied to a wide range of vegetables (raw or cooked) and to a range of seasons (warm or cool): asparagus, mushrooms, Belgian endive, shredded cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, zucchini, wilted greens, could all, in some combination, jump into the fray with delightful results.

Cooking Remarks

Prepare what vegetables you can while the farro is cooking, beginning with the red onion.

Farro Piccolo cooks quickly! Don’t boil it like crazy, and keep and eye on it while it’s in the pot. Feel free to use Perfect Basic Slow Roasted Farro in its stead.

equipment mise en place

For this recipe, you will need a small, sharp knife; a chef’s knife; a citrus reamer; a small fine-mesh strainer; a vegetable peeler; a rasp-style grater/zester; a small bowl; and a large mixing bowl.

    • 2 or 3
      garlic cloves, peeled
    • 2
      tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2
      tablespoons juice from 1 large, juicy lemon
    • 1
    • 3
      tablespoons (1 ounce) minced red onion, soaked in cold water for
      30 minutes and drained
    • Scant ½ cup (2 ounces) minced raw or roasted red bell pepper
    • ¼
      cup (1 ounce) minced peeled carrot
    • 1
      cup (2.5 ounces) tiny broccoli florets, blanched, drained, and chilled
    • 1
      teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
    • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 3
      cups loosely packed (1 ounce) baby arugula
    • ¼
      cup (0.5 ounce) basil leaves, julienned
  1.  

    To make the vinaigrette, crush the garlic cloves with the side of a chef’s knife and toss them into a small bowl. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and stir briskly to combine.

  2.  

    Turn the farro into a large mixing bowl. Add the red onion, bell pepper, carrot, broccoli, and lemon zest and toss to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Pour the vinaigrette through a fine-mesh strainer directly onto the salad. Add the arugula and basil and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adjusting as you like. Serve right away.