Farro and White Wheat Berry Greek Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta

We eat a lot of one-bowl salads/meals.  They are quick to put together and you can add all sorts of grains, vegetables and herbs to vary the mix.

Printer Friendly Copy

Farro and White Wheat Berry Greek Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta

Makes 8 servings

• 1 cup (dry) Farro
• 1 cup (dry) Soft White Wheat Berries
• ½  tsp Sea Salt

Several hours ahead or the night before, soak the farro and wheat berries in a bowl of water, to cover.  Drain, place in saucepan and cover the grains with water, about two inches over the top of the grain.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender but still firm, al denté.  Drain and allow to cool.

Thai Basil fresh from my garden

Heirloom Hillbilly variety Tomatoes from my garden

Fresh Parsley from my patio herb pot

Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
• Juice from one Lemon
• Zest from one Lemon
• 1 TB Oregano, dried
• 4 TB Parsley leaves, rough chop
• 4 TB Basil leaves, rough chop
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp ground Pepper
• 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Set aside while you prepare the salad

Salad:

• 1 red Bell Pepper, diced
• 3 small Persian Cucumbers, diced
• 2 large Tomatoes, diced in large chunks
• ¼ of a large Red Onion, minced
• Cooked Grains
• Feta Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)

Toss all ingredients together in the bowl of Vinaigrette.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.  Keep in mind that tomatoes taste best when room temperature.
 **Add a bit of Feta Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts to each serving.  I forgot to take the photo after I plated.  The crunch of the nuts and the tangy, saltiness of the feta is a perfect addition.

ENJOY!

Farro with Sage Scented Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard

On my weekly jaunt to Trader Joe's I found 10-Minute Farro. Farro can take a while to cook so I thought it was worth a try. I am so glad I did!

I cooked mine in my rice cooker and it took 15 minutes from the time I clicked the start. No need to boil water; it turned out fluffy and so yummy.

I had just picked some swiss chard from my little garden and using both plus a butternut squash that I had on hand, came up with this. I kept my recipe very simple and added some fresh sage to the butternut squash.

Printer friendly recipe found HERE

Farro with Sage Scented Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard

Makes about 6 Servings

1 package 10-Minute Farro (249 grams) from Trader Joe’s
2 cups Beef Broth, low fat
2 ½ Tablespoons olive oil

2 Shallots, diced

1 medium Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 Tablespoons fresh Sage, chopped

14 ounces fresh Swiss Chard Leaves, sliced, stems removed (save stems for another use)

3 cloves Garlic, chopped
Sea Salt 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Toss the cubed butternut squash with 2 TB olive oil, chopped sage, and diced shallots.  Spread all on a sheet pan and roast 15 minutes, check and stir; continue roasting about 15 minutes more or until squash is tender.

Fresh Sage from the Garden

 Extracts from sage (Salvia officinalis) have been shown to improve memory recall. The high concentration of antioxidants, such as rosmarinic acid, in the aromatic leaves can help reduce DNA oxidative damage, thereby improving brain function. Naturally occurring chemicals in sage (such as oleanolic and ursolic acids) also have strong antibacterial qualities, potentially helping to reduce numbers of food-borne pathogens, including dangerous E. coli. Imbibing sage tea daily for four weeks has been reported to improve blood cholesterol numbers.

Chop the Sage

If your Garlic has sprouted the Germ like mine have, remove it before chopping.

Everyone in the oven!

While squash is roasting, place the farro in a small rice cooker with the beef broth and cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off and toss to fluff, keep covered until ready to serve.  If you don’t have a rice cooker, follow directions on the package using the beef broth for the water.

Cooked Farro

Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add ½ TB olive oil, minced garlic and the sliced swiss chard leaves; sauté just until tender.   

Fresh, Organic Ruby Red Swiss Chard from my garden

Chard will cook down to this

To Serve: place ¾ cup farro in center of plate, top with 2 ounces of swiss chard and 3 ounces of butternut squash mixture. 

Sprinkle with sea salt and lemon juice, if desired. See below for nutritional information

Nutritional data provided by NutriMirror.com