Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Farro with roasted vegetables



This is originally from Jamie Oliver's new book, Jamie's Italy. I posted about this recipe, but at that time, I didn't have farro so I substituted bulgur, per the recipe's suggestions. Didn't like it very much - it was mushy and boring. But, as I happened to get my hands on some farro, I decided to try again. Also, I used vegetables I actually like rather than the ones suggested by Jamie Oliver (aubergine, not for me, thanks.) and everything turned out a lot better. So now I'll definitely recommend it!

I served it with Lamb Kebabs and Raitziki. Delicious!

Farro with roasted vegetables
serves 4

200 g farro
1 zucchini
2 bellpeppers, 1 red and 1 yellow for maximum color payoff
200 g mushrooms
1 large yellow onion
1 bulb of fennel
2 parsnips
4 cloves of garlic
herbs - parsley, basil, coriander...
lemon salt or Maldon sea salt
pepper
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
white vinegar (balsamic or herb)

Start with the vegetables. Slice everything into chunks, no need for precision. Mix in a large roasting tray, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. I use Falksalt's delicious lemon salt, but if you can't get that, use regular flakey sea salt.

Roast in the oven at 175°C / 350°F for about half an hour. The veggies should be soft, but still retain some crunch. Remove from the oven, and splash over some tasty white vinegar. I prefer balsamic white, but use whatever you like. Let cool completely.

Soak the farro for 20 minutes in cold water, and drain well. Put in a large saucepan, add some salt, and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Watch closely, you don't want the farro to get mushy! Drain completely.

Chop the cooled vegetables finely, and tip onto a large plate. Add the herbs, chopped. Add the farro. Dress with olive oil and the juice of a lemon, and mix everything up.

6 comments:

Clivia said...

But what IS farro? I get so curious...

Anne said...

Clivia - farro is a type of wheat.. I believe it's the same as "spelt" which can be easier to find, perhaps? It's an old grain, and very easily available in Italy, at any rate. :)

Clivia said...

Oh, OK. In that case I already know I like it! And I know where to get it (The organic bakery here next door or at Saltå Café in Järna)

Anonymous said...

It appears (from a random Googling) that farro is indeed the Italian name for spelt, known in Germany and Scandinavia as "dinkel".

Look for this whole wheat grain on the same shelves as you would your couscous or bulgar wheat. The biggest producer in Sweden is Labans Kvarn on Gotland; they sell their (KRAV-branded) dinkel grain in smallish white paper bags with bright black-on-orange stickers with the silhouette of a mill on it. It's not a given product in all shops, but ask for it and maybe it will be? :)

Anne said...

Henrik, I thought dinkel and spelt were two different grains though? No? That'd sure make life easier. :)

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for posting the recipe. I have a big bag of farro, that I bought on a whim, and now I have a recipe to try it out on!