Warm Farro Salad

It’s January again. Kind of cold and dreary with more of the same predicted. But here is the good news- your menu doesn’t have to follow suit. Brighten and lighten your day with this recipe for Farro Winter Salad. This dish is hearty with a punch of citrus and sweet chopped dried fruits plus deliciously nutty farro. Truthfully, when I said salad, my husband looked at me like I had lost my mind. I made it anyway and just as I predicted, it was love at first bite. Farro is one my favorite grains, particularly since I discovered the boil for 10 minutes package. That means you just let it do its magic while you chop up whatever dried fruit you have around (not leftover from making fruitcakes I’ll assume). I used dried cranberries and a few dates, a perfect combo. I used orange zest and a little juice and that left at least half of and orange that could be segmented and added for a fresh taste. There is still mint in my garden which I can’t explain, but lucky me! It was a fun addition.

Do you see where we are going with this? Start with the yummy farro and add stuff you like. Pistachios are always in the cabinet and that seemed like a good plan. I also added a shallot, but green onions would have been prettier if they had existed in a sad after holidays fridge. That’s about it. Dressing was orange zest and juice, a little lemon juice, and olive oil plus a hint of ginger — dried, fresh, or frozen, doesn’t matter. It’s all delicious.

After the salad was long gone it occurred that adding grilled or sauted shrimp would be especially tasty too and round out a full meal salad. It’s a good idea for a dreary January. Make this soon! Enjoy!

Winter Farro Salad

2 -3 cups cooked farro (package directions)

Dressing

1 orange, zested

2 Tbsp orange juice

1 Tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

3 Tbsp olive oil

Pinch of ginger

To warm farro add:

½ cup chopped dried fruit (I used cranberries and dates)

2 Tbsp chopped shallot or green onion

Remainder of orange, segmented

2 Tbsp chopped mint or herb of choice, parsley or basil would be nice

¼ cup nuts pistachios, almonds, or walnuts

Mix all together with dressing and serve at room temperature. Can be made ahead and covered about 6 hours.