Old grain, new take

One night recently, I turned coarsely chopped spinach and collard and turnip greens into a delectable dish. How? I cooked the greens in just enough broth to make them tender-crisp, then tossed in some cooked farro. The semi-pearled farro made the concoction nutty and delectably chewy. It added a subtle sweetness, turning a boring dish into a taste bud bonanza.

Somewhere between tough and soft, cooked farro adds pizazz to salads and soups, side dishes and entrees. Risotto, too.

Farro is the ancient grain called emmer wheat that is said to have sated Roman troops in biblical times. According to Maria Speak, author of "Ancient Grains for Modern Meals" (Ten Speed, $29), farro was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent almost 10,000 years ago. Today it's grown primarily in Italy, Morocco, Spain and Turkey.

Yet only in the past couple of years has it made its way onto so many local menus, showcased primarily in Italian restaurants and natural-food eateries.

Most restaurants and home cooks use semi-pearled farro, grains that are processed to retain some but not all of the exterior bran. Semi-pearled (the package often says "semi-perlato") cooks in 15 to 20 minutes in simmering water or broth. If the package doesn't designate it as "semi-pearled," look at the cooking directions on the package. If it says that it cooks in less than 25 minutes, you can assume it is semi-pearled.

Gino Buonanoce and Salvatore Ferrara, chefs at Antonello Ristorante in Santa Ana, use semi-pearled farro in a variety of ways.

"We use it in risottos, salads and soups," Buonanoce said. "Bean soup, vegetable soup or lentil soup.

"Or farro in salads with seared tuna, or any kind of fish. We sear the (ahi-grade) tuna until medium rare on the inside, slice it and fan it on the plate. We put the cold farro salad next to it. The salad has a little extra-virgin olive oil, oregano and fresh lemon juice. Maybe some julienned carrots and Bibb lettuce, sometimes some cold cannellini beans and a garnish of toasted hazelnuts. The farro needs to be cooked until chewy but not mushy."

He said farro can be cooked, drained, cooled and refrigerated, well sealed, up to four days before it is used.

Mark Cleveland and Tanya Fuqua, chef-owners of Avanti Cafe in Costa Mesa, prefer whole farro. At their vegetarian, vegan-friendly restaurant, they often take the unpearled grain one step further, sprouting it by using a water-soaking regimen.

"It takes about three days for it to germinate and sprout," Cleveland said. "It makes it more nutritious, more digestible and improves the texture, the crunchy chewiness. The whole grain is available at natural-food stores."

They said they appreciate cooked farro's versatility in salads, teaming it with ingredients such as garlic, onion, cheese and toasted nuts; fruits such as cranberries, pears or apples; vegetables such as celery, tomato, winter squash, cauliflower and roasted root vegetables.

Ryan Wilson, executive chef at Five Crowns in Corona del Mar, uses a domestic, organic farro from Bluebird Grain Farms, a small family farm in Washington.

"It's unpearled and has a little bit more of a nutty flavor, a richer flavor," Wilson said. "I pulse it (raw) in a food processor for about 30 seconds; this cracks the hulls and allows it to cook to a texture that is similar to the pearled product.

"I love its nutty, oaty character of farro. It's more flavorful than many rice varieties and other grains. I use it in creamy risottos or salads."

For salads, he uses a stock enriched with chopped red onion, fennel, carrot, herbs and white wine to cook the grain. The cracked farro boils in the stock until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Strained and still warm, it is tossed with salt, red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil (1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil). Once it's cooled, he adds seasonal vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, blanched shell beans (such as peeled fava) or raw, fresh corn kernels — or maybe a judicious amount of heirloom peppers, such as banana chilies or serrano.

Farro salad, he says, is delicious served as a side dish with grilled chicken, seafood or pork loin. Or use it as a filling in a lettuce wrap.

Yum.

CARROT AND FARRO SOUP

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

1 cup semi-pearled farro

2-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced celery, including leaves

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 cups roughly chopped peeled carrots

Bouquet garni: 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, 2 peeled garlic cloves

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

14 cups (112 ounces) fat-free, low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 cups coarsely chopped chard leaves or kale leaves

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional garnish:

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook's notes: For a heartier soup, add 1 (16- or 19-ounce) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed).

Procedure

Place farro in bowl and add enough cold water to cover by about 1 inch; set aside.

Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add fennel, celery, onion and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about six minutes.

Drain farro and add to mixture. Tie bouquet garni ingredients in double layer of cheesecloth and secure with cotton string; add to mixture. Add tomatoes (and juice) and broth. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes, or until farro is tender.

Add chard or kale and parsley; simmer about four minutes, or until chard or kale is wilted. Remove and discard bouquet garni. Add basil, salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls or mugs. Pass cheese for optional topping.

Source: "Melissa's Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce" by Cathy Thomas (Wiley, $29.95)

FARRO WITH PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS AND THYME

Yield: four servings

3 large portobello mushrooms, about 1-1/2 pounds

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup sliced shallots

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/3 cup Marsala

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

3 cups cooked semi-pearled farro

Procedure

If the portobellos have stems, pry them out. Trim and finely chop the stems. Cut caps in half crosswise; cut each half into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until shallots begin to soften, one to two minutes. Add mushrooms and sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mushrooms give up their liquid and brown, four to five minutes. Remove garlic cloves.

Stir in Marsala and dried thyme (if using) and cook until Marsala has almost evaporated. Add farro and cook until grains are moist and thoroughly heated, a minute or two. If the grains taste dry and are sticking to the bottom of the pan, stir in 1/4 cup water, cover and simmer for a few minutes. Add fresh thyme (if using) and salt to taste.

Source: "Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way" by Lorna Sass (Clarkson Potter, $32.50)

AVANTI CAFE'S SPROUTED (WHOLE) FARRO SALAD OR SIDE

Yield: about 5 quarts, six to eight servings as a main course, or 10 to 12 as a side dish

2 pounds whole (unpearled) farro

Optional: 1 (2-inch) piece kombu seaweed kelp

1 tablespoon miso or a pinch of salt

1/4 cup dry vermouth or sake, dry white wine or brewed green tea

For Champagne Honey Dijon Marinade:

1/3 cup finely minced shallots

3/4 cup champagne vinegar

1 garlic clove, peeled, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup honey Dijon mustard, or Dijon mustard

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup minced Italian parsley

2 tablespoons finely minced chives

2/3 cup finely minced cored, unpeeled Granny Smith apple

Procedure

To sprout whole farro: In a deep pot, wash 2 pounds farro well with warm water. Drain, then cover with cool water and let germinate overnight. Drain well. Let sprout in a warm draft-free area for two or three days (bathe grains in fresh lukewarm water for 15 minute twice daily, draining well after each bath). You will begin to see little roots forming. Once the roots are 2 or 3 millimeters long, the farro is ready to cook.

Cook sprouted farro: In a large, deep pot with a tight-fitting lid or rice cooker, cover the sprouted farro with water 1 inch above the surface of the farro (or up to the first joint of your index finger). If using, wipe the kombu with a damp towel and add to pot. Add miso and vermouth.

If using a rice cooker, set to cook and when it clicks off, allow it to sit in the machine and steam for an additional 15 minutes on the warm setting. If using a pot, bring to a boil covered, over medium-high heat. When it boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit, covered, in the hot pot for one hour. It's done when it has a nice crunchy-chewy texture.

If using, finely julienne the kombu; add it back to the cooked farro. Drain off any liquid; if you wish, reserve liquid and use as a broth for another dish. Cooked farro freezes very well. It's great to have some in the freezer for a quick meal.

For marinade: In a medium bowl, combine shallots and vinegar; set aside while you prep remaining ingredients. Sprinkle smashed garlic clove with salt; finely mince and add to vinegar. Stir in pepper and mustard; whisk to combine. Whisk in olive oil. Stir in parsley, chives and apple. In a large bowl toss farro with marinade. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve immediately or chill, covered, to let flavors marry for two to three hours, or refrigerate up to four days. Serve with boiled beets and baby turnips with horseradish cream. Or serve with sautéed peppers, onions and potatoes topped with organic tomato purée. Or use to stuff whole roasted organic tomatoes. Or serve with a Napa cabbage salad with baby arugula and spinach.

Source: Chef-owners Mark Cleveland and Tanya Fuqua, Avanti Cafe, Costa Mesa.