Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad

It's the season for cole vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, collards, etc.) and my market had broccoli and cauliflower, Buy One Get One Free last week.  Therefore, I have an abundance in my fridge right now.  Sometimes we don't think about foods being "in season" because we are blessed to be able to buy pretty much anything we want in our grocery stores, anytime we want it.  But foods definitely have a growing season and the fall offerings are delicious.  Along with the cole vegetables, delicious winter squashes, like acorn and butternut come to mind.  When we buy our produce "in season", we're much more likely to spend our dollars locally, the food will taste better and the price will be right!  So, I filled my cart with some of all, along with some spinach for good measure.  This week, I've been working to use these foods in some new recipes.  

First of all, I have to ask, have you ever roasted broccoli?  I have roasted lots of vegetables, but never broccoli, and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it is.  And, have you experimented with farro?  This was my first time, so I had to do a little research to educate myself on this grain.

Here's what I learned , from my Food Lover's Companion (which is a great little book to have in your kitchen).

"farro (FAHR-oh) - This ancient cereal grain belongs to the wheat family and dates as far back as 20,000 years.  Also, known as emmer wheat, farro was the primary grain cultivated by early Egyptians and became a staple of the Roman legions during their occupation of Egypt.  Over time, farro's popularity gave way to higher-yielding, easier to grow varieties of wheat grains.  However, farro began reemerging in Italy and is now attracting attention from cooks around the world.  Tuscany's Garfagnana area has been granted protected geographical indication status for its Farro della Garfagnana.  Though farro is often confused with spelt, they are different grains.  Farro has a dense chewy structure and a rich, nutty flavor.  It can be used in pasta, bread and for risotto-style dishes."

And it makes a great salad.  One of my tactics for trying to keep my weight under control is to have soup or salad for lunch each day.  Although, today I was craving a spicy chicken sandwich and waffle fries (from you know where), I had this salad instead.  It was a good day for discipline.  A big Greek salad is probably my favorite and I could eat one of those every day.   I love them that much, but a little variety is nice.  In this salad, the cooked farro is nutty and chewy, the roasted broccoli tastes almost sweet and the  feta cheese lends a little saltiness.  It's such a nice blend of flavors.    

Here's how it came together.

I chopped the broccoli into small florets.  Then I peeled the stem, cut it into strips and sliced into 1/4 inch sections.

I drizzled the broccoli with olive oil, salted it a little and mixed all together.  Then roasted it at 400 for about 20 minutes or until some of the florets were browned.

I bought my farro in the regular grocery store, near the rice and barley.  It was pearled farro and cooked in about 30 minutes. Then I drained it and let it cool a bit.

Into a bowl with the farro and broccoli, I added chopped scallion,

and sliced grape tomatoes.  The recipe didn't call for tomatoes, but I thought they made a nice addition.

I added crumbled feta cheese, chopped flat leaf parsley, red pepper flakes and salt.  Then I stirred everything together.

The dressing was a red wine vinaigrette, made with vinegar and olive oil.  I taste tested and added a little more to my liking.

That's all there was to it.  Very tasty!  I'll be making this one again.  

Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad

(adapted from Fine Cooking magazine)

3/4 cup farro (pearled)

1 lb. broccoli

3 T. Olive Oil

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 scallions, thinly sliced

grape tomatoes (optional)

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 T. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 T. red wine vinegar (more as needed)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat

the oven to 400 degrees.  In a 4 qt. saucepan, bring 

2 quarts of well salted water to a boil over high heat.

Boil the farro in the water until tender, 20 - 30 min.

Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.  Meanwhile,

remove the broccoli crown from the stem and cut into

bite sized florets.  Peel and halve the stem lengthwise,

then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.  On a rimmed baking 

sheet, toss the broccoli florets ands stems with 2 T. of

olive oil.  Roast until tender and browned in spots, about

20 minutes. Add the broccoli, feta, scallions, red pepper 

flakes and parsley to the farro.  Also add tomatoes if 

desired.  Sprinkle with vinegar and salt and toss.  Add 

remaining olive oil and toss.  Season to taste, adding 

more vinegar and oil if desired.