Do You Know About Farro?

Farro is not a wheat, but a plant and grain all its own. It's a little like brown rice, nutty and light brown. It contains a starch similar to Aborio rice, thus it is very popular in risotto like dishes. Rich in magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E, farro is low in gluten and easy to digest. This is a grain that has been around for thousands of years, and has recently popped up on health food and natural food stores. I love to experiment with various grains, and I have done so with farro. It is good hot, in any risotto type dish, or cold as in the salad below that I hope you enjoy.

Mediterranean Farro Salad

1/2 lb. farro
1/2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/4 small red onion, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 bunch chopped flat parsley
12 Greek olives, chopped
crumbled feta cheese, to taste (I like lots of cheese)

Cook farro according to directions, drain and cool. While the farro is cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Combine all ingredients, and mix in the dressing, below.

Dressing for Mediterranean farro salad

2 tsp. honey
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. cider vinegar
4 T. olive oil