Warm winter farro salad: not very pretty, but great personality

Indulge in the hearty flavors of a warm winter farro salad, a delightful blend of wholesome grains and savory seasonal ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried farro grain (you will only use 1 cup of the cooked grain)
• 4 cups vegetable broth, preferably homemade
• 1 10-oz can cannellini beans, or freshly cooked
• 5 slices pancetta, chopped
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, diced
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely grated Pecorino plus more for garnish
• 2 - 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Instructions:

1. Allow the farro grain to sit in a generous amount of water for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. After that, drain and rinse the farro. Please note that soaking the grains is not mandatory; it only helps in reducing the cooking time when preparing the farro.
2. Prepare the vegetable broth by dicing 2 yellow onions, 4 celery stalks with their leafy tops, 2 carrots, 1 leek, and simmering them in a heavy pot with a small quantity of oil. To add a touch of heat to your broth, incorporate 1 chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper after deseeding it. Saute the vegetables over medium-high heat until they caramelize, which should take about 15 minutes. Then, pour in 12 cups of water, along with fresh thyme and a bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, simmer for 30 minutes, and include softer vegetables if desired. Optionally, you can include the cores of butter lettuce and romaine, finely chopped. Simmer for an extra 30 minutes, or longer based on your preference for a stronger broth. In this instance, the vegetable broth was simmered for an additional hour to intensify its flavor to match the farro.
3. Cook the farro in approximately 4 cups of the vegetable broth until it reaches a slightly chewy consistency. This should take about 45 minutes to an hour if you skipped the pre-soaking process, or around 10-15 minutes if you soaked the grain. Drain the farro and set it aside. The cooking time may vary, depending on the duration of the soaking process, with longer soaking times requiring less cooking time for the farro. Save the remaining vegetable broth for future use.
4. Preheat your oven to 400F. Coat the diced butternut squash with a bit of olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper, then roast it until tender on a baking sheet. This should take approximately 15 minutes.
5. In a large saute pan, fry the diced pancetta until crispy. Next, add the leeks and red onions. Once the leeks and onions are tender, introduce 1 cup of the cooked farro, beans, squash, red pepper flakes if desired, sun-dried tomatoes, both types of cheese, and half of the balsamic vinegar. Taste the mixture and adjust by adding the rest of the balsamic vinegar if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Top the dish with chopped Italian parsley and a sprinkle of grated Pecorino cheese before serving. Enjoy your meal alongside some fresh bread and butter.

Summary:

• Calories: 1636 kcal
• Fat: 71 g
• Protein: 73 g
• Carbs: 187 g
• Potassium: 3625 mg
• Magnesium: 457 mg