FARRO AND GREEN OLIVE SALAD
WITH WALNUTS AND GOLDEN RAISINS
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| I just made this salad today. I didn't have golden raisins, but dark raisins work, too. |
Farro is in the wheat family and it is believed farro may be the "mother" of all wheat. It contains lots of goodies (high fiber, protein and iron) and has a delicious nutty flavor and chewy consistency. It is excellent in salads, soups, and mixed with vegetable stir-fries or other side dishes.
Here's a recipe my good friend Debby V. gave me, which I love--perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Farro
1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
2 1/2 cups pitted green olives, preferably Castelvetrano; chopped
4 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
1/3 cup snipped chives
2 Tbsp. golden raisins (I used 4 Tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (I used 1/4 tsp. white pepper and 1/2 tsp. ground West Indian Pink Peppercorn--any pepper combo would work well.)
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. honey
Sea salt to taste (But use cautiously as both the olives and cheese are already salty.)
Shaved Pecorino cheese for serving (I used Parmesan.)
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| I bought these Castelvetrono Olives online, but you could probably get them at Trader Joes or other similar stores. Note, the word, WHOLE. Make sure you buy them pitted! |
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375. (I skipped this step and lightly roasted the walnuts in a dry frying pan on top of the stove.) If using the oven, place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 15 minutes.
In a medium saucepan combine the farro with 4 cups of water (I used 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water), and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered until the farro is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain (Save the liquid for future soup stock.) the farro and spread it on a baking sheet to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the farro, toasted walnuts, scallions, chives, raisins, crushed red pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, honey and season with salt. Toss well. Transfer salad to a platter and garnish with the cheese. I made it the day before and I think it helped meld the flavors.
From Serious Eats:
"Castelvetrano olives are Italy's most ubiquitous snack olive. Bright green, they are often referred to as dolce (sweet), and come from Castelvetrano, Sicily, from the olive variety nocerella del belice. They have a Kermit-green hue, meaty, buttery flesh, and a mild flavor."
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| Poached Salmon with a creamy lemon sauce on a bed of spinach and cherry tomatoes were the perfect complement to the Farro Salad. I dressed the greens with a citrus vinaigrette. |
3 Tbsp lemon juice.
1/4 cup chicken broth, fish stock, clam juice, white wine, or water. (I used chicken stock.)
2/3 cup heavy cream (Light cream is OK, too.)
1 Tbsp butter
Salt/ White pepper to taste
Preparation:
Melt butter in a frying pan. Add stock. While stirring, bring to a gentle boil. Add lemon juice. Keep stirring. Reduce heat. Add cream. Stir some more. Season with salt/pepper. The secret to a good sauce is to bring everything together over a moderate, not high heat, and stir continuously. This sauce has endless variations: add rosemary, garlic, chives, dill, or almost any other herb you can think of!
