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.

Washed green beans

I’ve had a recipe for dillie beans for years, passed on to me from my friend Heather. But even though I’ve had good intentions, I’ve never gotten around to making it because I’m a little intimidated by the canning process. I’m more of a fun of a quick pickle than pickling things to store them. Since quick pickles have to be eaten relatively quickly, I tend to make them in smaller batches. I figured I’d share both recipes as one day I hope to figure out a way to adapt the dillie bean recipe into a smaller portion and a quick pickle.

Add your spices first!

I don’t know exactly how many beans this was (since at pick-up the instructions were 1 bowlful), but I was able to fit them all in my Great South Bay Brewery mason jar!

Quick pickled green beans
Source: adapted from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed
10 black peppercorns
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh dill
1 clove garlic, peeled
Green beans (enough to pack a mason jar)

Pickled beans!

1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoons salt

Directions
1. Wash and trim beans. To bottom of jar, add mustard seed, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, garlic, and dill. Pack the green beans into the jar tightly so that they are standing up.

2. Combine water, vinegar, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour over beans leaving 1/4-inch head space and close jar. Let sit at least one day and enjoy!
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Dillie Beans
Source: Erin MacLeod…it was her grandmother’s recipe

Ingredients
2 pounds green beans (young and tender)
1 teaspoon powdered alum
1 gallon water
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 teaspoons dill seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups water
2 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup salt

Directions
1. Wash beans and trim ends, and place in stone crock or glass container. Dissolve alum in the 1 gallon of water, pour over beans, and let stand 24 hours.

2. Drain and wash beans. Pack lengthwise into 4 hot pint-size canning jars. To each jar, add 1/8 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dill seed, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

3. Combine 2 cups water, cider vinegar, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour over beans leaving 1/4-inch head space. Close jars.

4. Process 25 minutes in boiling water bath.

Mise en place

It’s great that cabbage lasts so long, but it also takes up a lot of space in the vegetable drawer, so it was time to figure out how to make something tasty for my belly. I did cabbage two ways, and this recipe was a winner!

Cabbage and mushroom stir fry

Serves: 3-4

Source: adapted from Divine Healthy Food via Pinterest

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon canola oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Close up

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 medium green cabbage, chopped

5 mushrooms, sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon white wine

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

1. In a large skillet, add the canola oil, scallions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. 

2. Turn the heat on medium-high and let it warm up for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage, mushrooms, and salt. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add soy sauce, white wine, garlic powder, and paprika. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Enjoy!