- 1 cup farro
- 1/4 cup California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil plus more to pass at the table
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 8 cherry tomatoes, haloed
- 2/3 cup shredded arugula leaves
- Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Chef's Note: The memory of the farm salad made by Daniela Bottoni in Lizori stayed fresh in my mind even after I returned home. It is a complete meal in terms
of a balance of protein with calcium and vegetables. Farro is available in Italian specialty stores, in health food stores, and on the World Wide Web.
The fast way to cook farro is to cover it with water the night before you plan to cook it and then the next day drain off the water and put the farro in a 1-quart saucepan.
Cover it with fresh water and cook until it is tender but not mushy. This will take about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Farro can be cooked without
presoaking but will need a longer cooking time, about 30 minutes.
Pour the California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil over the farro and mix it well to coat the grains. Stir in the salt and vinegar. Divide the farro among 4 salad plates.
Sprinkle the arugula evenly among the plates. Place 4 tomato halves on each plate and sprinkle with the cheese.
Pass more olive oil at the table to drizzle on top.
Recipe Credit:
Ciao Italia in Umbria (St. Martin's Press, 2002), by
Mary Ann Esposito. Reprinted with permission from the publisher.