Warm farro salad

I decided that I wanted my buttercup squash to make friends with some farro. Then I added kale and a delicata squash to the party. I’ve never cooked farro before, but I think the inspiration came from a farro salad I had last week at the Fireplace in Brookline (which is not closing, btw).

I thought I’d be able to find farro in the bulk bins at the Harvest Co-op in Central Square, and I did, except the bin was empty. My next stop was Whole Foods and again had no luck at the bulk bins, but I did find a 1.1 pound package on the shelf with the other packaged grains (quinoa, Israeli couscous, etc). I followed the package directions and soaked it in water for 25 minutes, then cooked it in 2 quarts of chicken broth (use water or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian). Bring the farro and cooking liquid of your choice to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, then drain and set aside in a large bowl to cool. I made the whole package…a pound of farro is a whole lotta whole grains! 

Making friends

The roasting and sauteeing make this a bit labor intensive, but worth the effort in my opinion. I also used one of my favorite salt blends from La Boite (a spice shop in NYC) for seasoning: Cancale N. 11, which contains fleur de sel, orange, fennel, and spices.

Warm farro salad
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 winter squash, seeded and cubed
1 bunch kale, torn into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound whole farro, cooked according to package directions
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Rinsing farro

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss squash cubes with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil and roast for 20-30 minutes, turning once. The cooking time will depend on the variety of squash you use and the size of your pieces. Remove from oven and set pan aside to cool.

Ready for potluck!

2. While the squash is cooking, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan on the stove, over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add kale and cook, stirring frequently, until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from stovetop and set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine farro, squash, and kale. Just before serving, stir in remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, cider vinegar, dried cranberries, and goat cheese crumbles. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.