How-To Cook Emmer Farro
A quick how-to guide to prepping this versatile grain.
Ingredients:
1½ cups emmer farro
4 cups chicken stock
¼ teaspoon salt
Method:
1. Place farro into a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain.
2. Transfer to a medium sized pot that has a lid. Add the stock and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 50-60 minutes, until it is softened but still chewy. (If there is liquid remaining in the pot, drain it off or save it to add to a soup, stew or sauce.)
Grilled Lacinato Kale Spread
This creamy spread from the new cookbook, Any Night Grilling, is delicious slathered on slices of grilled bread.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
½ cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta
Rustic bread, such as this week’s Italian Rustica, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
Flaky sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high, then carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly-oiled paper towel.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in the sheep’s milk cheese.
3. Working in batches, grill the kale leaves until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cool slightly. Use a knife to trim the thick ribs from each leaf, then finely chop the kale leaves. Fold into the yogurt mixture.
4. Grill the bread slices over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute per side. While still war, rub 1 side of each toast with the cut side of the garlic. Top each toast with a slather of creamy kale, drizzle with olive oil and top with flaky sea salt, then serve.
Romanesco Salad
Bright Romanesco florets are tossed with an equally vibrant red wine vinaigrette, plus red onions, celery and capers in this fabulous salad from food blog Simple Recipes.
Ingredients:
2 heads Romanesco
2 stalks celery
½ large red onion
1 cup loosely-packed fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Dressing:
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ anchovy, minced (optional)
¼ cup high-quality olive oil
Method:
1. Cut Romanesco heads into quarters, stalk to tip. Cut out the tough core and any outside green leaves. Cut again lengthwise. Place into a steamer basket in a pot with about an inch of water. Sprinkle the Romanesco florets with a little salt. Bring water to a boil. Cover and steam until just tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove Romanesco florets from steamer, place into a bowl, and chill.
2. Thinly slice the celery and red onion. Place the red onion slices in a bowl and cover with water. Set aside.
3. Smash the whole clove of garlic (not cut, just smash with the flat side of a chef’s knife) and place in the bottom of a small bowl. Add the vinegar and salt, stir to dissolve the salt. Add the minced anchovy if using. Whisk in the olive oil.
4. Break up the wedges of Romanesco into smaller chunks of florets. Place into a large serving bowl. Add celery, onions (drained of the water), parsley, capers, and lemon zest. Remove the garlic clove from the dressing and add dressing to the salad. Toss to coat with the dressing. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour. (It’s even better left overnight.) Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to serve.
Grilled Vegetable Medley
This recipe is extremely adaptable depending on the veggies you have on hand; feel free to mix it up!
Ingredients:
2 small, or 1 large zucchini, sliced into long strips
6-8 Hakurei turnips, trimmed of any greens and scrubbed clean
4 baby fennel bulbs, trimmed of green ends and sliced into thick wedges lengthwise
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Arrange the vegetables on the grill grate, or in a grill basket, and cook until all the veggies are softened and slightly charred (some will take longer than others, so plan to just keep watch). Remove from the heat and reserve until it’s time to serve up some risotto!
Herbed Turnip & Beet Chips
These crispy, herb-coated vegetables are a great complement to barbecue fare.
Ingredients:
5 turnips, peeled and thinly sliced
3 beets, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh herbs, such as rosemary, parsley or thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400º. Wash, peel and thinly slice turnips and beets. (For quick results, use a Cuisinart food processor with the slice-blade.)
2. Transfer onto a foil-lined cookie sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs. Toss together and arrange in a single layer.
3. Put in the oven for about 20 minutes, then turn them over and let cook another 20 minutes, or until they have reached the desired crispiness.
Chorizo Frittata
This savory-spicy frittata is delicious served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!
Ingredients:
8 eggs
½ pound chorizo sausage
½ cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
½ cup chopped green onions
2 cups hearty greens, such as kale, washed, greens removed of any tough ribs and roughly chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes
½ cup milk
1 cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. Cook the chorizo sausage in a large ovenproof skillet until done, breaking the sausage into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Then, add the leeks and green onions and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 2-3 minute, until both are softened and fragrant. Add in the cherry tomatoes and greens and cook until the greens are just wilted, then remove from the heat.
3. Crack eggs and break over a shallow bowl. Break yolks with a whisk or fork, then whisk together with the milk and ½ cup of the cheese, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Add eggs to the frying pan and mix with the chorizo and vegetables.
4. Top the frittata with the remaining ½ cup cheese and then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
F&L Summer Fruit Cake
Moist and incredibly flavorful, this summer fruit cake comes together in just minutes!
Ingredients:
F&L summer fruit cake mix
2 eggs
2 cups of summer fruit or berries, diced if needed
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, diced fruit or berries, stirring well to combine.
2. Pour batter into a greased cake pan and back for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.
Variation: This is also lovely baked in a cast-iron pan as an upside down cake. For this method, melt â…“ cup butter and â…“ cup sugar in a cast iron pan over medium-low heat, then pour in the mixed cake batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and invert the pan on a rimmed plate. Let sit 5 minutes then carefully remove the pan from the cake.
Red Cabbage-Fennel Slaw with Cilantro
This light, fresh dish is fantastic on tacos, pulled pork sandwiches or simply served as a summery side.
Ingredients:
1 small head green cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced
2 baby fennel bulbs, trimmed of fronds, cored and very thinly sliced
2-3 carrots, coarsely grated
¾ cup freshly-chopped cilantro
½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche
½ cup milk
Juice from 1 lime or lemon
Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream or crème fraîche with milk and lime juice. Season to taste with fresh ground pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, combine cabbage, fennel, carrots and cilantro. Drizzle with dressing, tossing to coat. Season with more pepper as desired and salt to taste.
Beet & Snap Pea Salad
This colorful salad is perfectly complemented by a lemon-honey vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
1 bunch beets, trimmed of any greens, washed and scrubbed
½ pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 cups mixed salad greens
Lemon-honey vinaigrette (see recipe)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil. Bake until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool. Peel beets and cut into wedges.
2. Cook sugar snap peas in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Pat dry.
3. Line a serving platter with the greens Mix the beets and snap peas in a medium bowl with about ¼ cup of the honey-lemon vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper and then spoon the mixture over the greens. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette as desired.