March 2021 Recipe of the Month

Farro Salad with Peas, Asparagus, and Feta

Shared by Patricia Coldwell

Farro is an ancient Tuscan grain with a mellow, nutty flavor. You will find it in some supermarkets, specialty food stores such as food coops.

This is a great dish for a summer barbecue season, but it can also be served slightly warm with roast salmon or chicken. I have a couple vegetarians in my family, and for them this makes a substantial main course. It is also amenable to many variations—sub wild rice for farro, add celery for crunch, swap out the dill for oregano, tarragon, or basil.

Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2005

Yield: Makes 4 main course servings Active Time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups semi-pearled farro
12 ounces asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 ½ inch lengths
8 ounces sugar snap peas
12 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup chopped red onion
6 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup sherry wine vinegar
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, crumbled
1/ cup pine nuts

Preparation

Cook farro in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook asparagus and sugar snap peas in another saucepan of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, plunge into ice water to stop cooking, then drain again. Add to farro with tomatoes, onion, and dill. Whisk mustard, oil, and vinegar in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add dressing and feta to salad; toss to coat, top with pine nuts and serve.