Farro is not one of those ingredients that most people have laying around in their kitchens.  That’s a pity.  It has become a staple in my house due to its versitility, texture, flavor and health benefits.  I know, I know.  People are going to say, I don’t know what farro is.  I can’t pronounce it, I can’t cook it, and I sure as heck can’t find it in the grocery store.  Ha!  Only three out of those four points is true.  Unfortunately it is the latter point that will more than likely provide you with the most difficulty.   But I will take each point one by one.

1. I don’t know what farro is.  Easy!  Farro is an ancient grain that originates in the Mediterranean and the Near East.  Some claim that farro is the original grain from which all other grains were derived.  These days farro is most commonly produced in Italy.  While some may try to tell you that farro and spelt are the same thing, don’t believe them.  It simply isn’t true.  If you are looking for a farro substitute, you can try barley, but you’ll be disappointed.
2. I don’t know how to pronounce farro.  Mystery solved.  It is pronounced FAHR-roe.
3. I can’t cook farro.  Yes, you can.  You just need time to cook farro.  First, you need to soak farro for about 4 hours in cold water to soften it.  Then you need to cook it for about 30 minutes in liquid.  The ratio of farro to liquid is 1:2.  In other words, you need one part farro to every 2 parts liquid.  Cooking time can range from between 20 - 30 minutes, depending on how “toothsome” you prefer your whole grains.
4. I sure as heck can’t find farro in my grocery store.   I have to admit, I don’t have much to combat that point.  I mean, I can’t find farro in my grocery store(s).  I went to the health food sections, the grains sections, the bulk sections and everywhere else I could think of to find farro in my neighborhood stores.  Ok, to be honest, I didn’t really expect to find it there.  So I drove across town to find it in a more upscale grocery store.   To my chagrin, no farro.  Finally, I broke down and went to Whole Foods.  They didn’t have it in the bulk section, but they did have it pre-packaged by the barley and the rye on the shelves.  And they had only three packages.  But, if you don’t have a Whole Foods near you, or if the one near you is as awful as the one near me, you can find it on Amazon.comof all places. 

 But on to the recipe.  Or the non-recipe, which is most often the case for me.  My Farro and Arugula Salad was served with sliced, grilled flank steak atop.  The farro was soaked for around four hours in cold water, then drained.  Then the farro was cooked, 1 part farro to 2.5 parts chicken stock.  First it was brought to a boil, then gently simmered for about 30 minutes.

The farro was cooled down to room temperature and then tossed with some of the fresh, “salady” produce that I had gotten in my produce box for the week.  As it was early spring, that meant arugula, radishes, ramps, scallions.  I also added hot house tomatoes and hot house cucumbers from the farmers market.  Before adding the produce, I tossed the farro with some olive oil and red wine vinegar.  Then, after combining the produce, I again tossed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

When you make farro, I recommend that you make enough to be used throughout the week.  Farro makes a great grainy side dish, and it is so versatile that you won’t get bored with it.

Spring brings asparagus season, and asparagus just screams for two of my favorite ways to prepare food… grilled, and with an egg on top.  Recently, Bon Appetit called “anything with an egg on it” one of the hottest trends.  Trendy or not, we’ve been putting egg on “stuff” for a while, and we love it. 

Grilled Asparagus Milanese is simple to prepare, and an oddly rustic yet elegant addition to your spring meal.

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Balsamic Vinegar to taste
2 eggs

Grated Parmesan cheese

Snap the tough ends off of each asparagus stalk.  Lay on a single layer on a plate and coat with olive oil.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Grill on direct heat until slightly charred, about 10 minutes.  Remove from grill and divide onto two plates.

Fry eggs in light coating of olive oil, sunny side up.  Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper.  Place one egg atop each pile of asparagus.  If desired, spray lightly with balsamic vinegar.  Grate parmesan cheeses on top of egg yolk before serving.

Adding an egg on top of produce does not always seem to be an intuitive thing to do. But the egg yolk oozes onto the asparagus like a rich dressing, adding a complexity to the flavor that is hard to beat. Served with a perfectly grilled tenderloin aside a salad of arugula, tomato and cucumber, this meal serves as a early, healthy introduction into the grilling season.

 I may have mentioned a time or two how much I like ramps.  As it is now high ramp season, much of what I am cooking has a ramp component to it in one way or another. 

Ramps are not a very well known vegetable these days, so imagine my surprise when I was browsing through one of the latest books that a publisher had sent me for review and stumbled across a ramp recipe!  (I’ll link to the book review once I actually finish the review!)   Olives and Oranges: Recipes and Flavor Secrets from Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Beyond actually had a recipe for White Bean Soup with Ramps, and it became pretty clear that  I was going to need to give it a try.

As spring can go in Wisconsin, it was inevitable that a cold, damp, dreary day would come along, and as soon as it did, I headed for the kitchen to make this soup.  In the end, it was perfect for the day – warming, filling, and flavorful.  While I veered away from the original recipe that was in the book, the spirit of the recipe remained.  What follows below is my rendition of White Bean Soup with Ramps.
Ingredients:

• 2  tablespoons Olive Oil
• 10 Ramp Bulbs, chopped, with greens saved
• 1 Carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 can cannelloni beans, drained
• More chicken stock, as needed
• Reserved Ramp greens, chopped
• 1 lb bulk Italian sausage, cooked to doneness
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Chives, chopped

In heavy stock pot, slowly sautee ramps, carrot, and celery in olive oil until softened.  Add garlic and sautee 2 minutes further.    Add potatoes and stir ingredients together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add chicken stock, ensuring that potatoes are covered with liquid.  Bring pot to boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Add cannelloni beans.  If needed add more stock to cover ingredients in pot.  Allow to simmer 30 more minutes.

With immersion blender, blend all ingredients in pot until smooth and creamy.  If you do not have an immersion blender, use a normal blender or food processor.  If soup is too thick, add more stock to desired consistency.   Add pre-cooked Italian Sausage,  stir.  Add reserved ramp greens and parmesan cheese, stir, and remove from heat.

Serve with chopped chives and grated parmesan cheese garnish.

Ramps were one of the finds that made our first CSA Produce season worthwhile. I had never heard of a ramp before I first started getting our produce box from Harmony Valley Farm. Now they have become a passion. They came in the very first box, and I looked at them with intrigue.

On the surface, they looked like a scallion, but the aroma was so much more intense. We chopped them up and sauteed them and were surprised to find that the aroma sharpened with cooking. Research later showed that ramps have a very big reputation for “stinking”!

Some might think that is a bad thing. I do not. Ramps may not necessarily be for the faint of heart, but if you love garlic and onion, you can not go wrong with ramps.

The flavor is sharp, and seems to be a cross between onion and garlic. I was an instant fan. My only disappointment was in discovering how short the ramp season is.

Ramps (Allium tricoccum), also known as wild leeks, were native to North America. White bulbs are topped by green leaves. The stems leading up to the leaves are burgandy in color. Native Americans held ramps in high esteem for medicinal purposes, and it turns out that they were right on target. Ramps are high in Vitamins A and C, and they fight high cholesteral just like their cousin, the garlic.

Ramps are simple to use, and add flavor to almost any dish. Simply sautee them as you would onion or garlic, tear the greens up and add them to salad, or even sautee the greens as well. In addition, here are some recipes that feature ramps:

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Ramps and Scallions in Mustard Sauce

Ramp, Scallion and Green Garlic Pesto

Carbonara with Pancetta, Peas, and Ramps

 The first CSA produce box of the season has arrived!  As with previous years, our membership is with Harmony Valley Farm.  We’ve been memberof this farm’s community supported agriculture for a number of years, and we can’t imagine a better program to join.

As in past years, I am going to kick this season off with a vow to use everything that we get in the produce box.  It can be a challenge at times.  I mean… burdock.  What do you do with burdock?  I haven’t gone out of my way in past years to find out, but this year I am going to!

And so, without further ado, here’s the produce that I got from the CSA on week one.

• Overwintered Parsnips
• Asparagus
• Sunchokes, aka Jerusalem Artichokes
• Ramps
• Sorrel
• Overwintered Spinach
• Rhubarb
• Burdock
• Chives
• Black Radishes

But, of course, I didn’t stop there.  I also had to hit the Westside Farmers’ Market and pick up more.  And do I also need to use this:

• Mixed Spring Greens
• Scallions
• Radishes

Wish me luck!