Farro Salad

I get inspiration for meals from so many places. Last weekend I had a wonderful lunch from Oakville Grocery located in Oakville, California. They have so many choices that it's always a challenge limiting myself to just a few. One of the delightful sides that I had was a farro salad. I've recreated it here. Chockful of vegetables, with a simple dressing of olive oil, it's both healthy and easy to put together.

Ingredients:

1 cup farro
2 cups water
1 cup cubed butternut squash
1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup filberts, chopped
1 Tbs flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1 tsp dried sage)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Directions: Cook farro according to package directions. I use 10 minute farro, which I find at Trader Joe's, so that this comes together quickly. For the 10 minute farro, the cup of farro is added to the 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. It is brought to a boil, then covered and reduced to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and let set an additional 5 minutes. Drain any remaining water. Cook the butternut squash while the farro is cooking. 1 cup of cubed butternut squash will cook in about 2 to 3 minutes in the microwave. Taste a piece of the squash after 2 minutes to make sure it is tender, but not mushy. If it is still hard, taste a piece after each additional 30 seconds cook time. Combine the onion, cranberries, filberts, parsley and sage in a bowl. Add the cooked and drained farro and cooked butternut squash. Toss everything together. Add the olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This is one of the recipes where you can use your favorite tasting olive oil! Do be sure to use extra virgin olive oil, as it has the clear taste you want in a salad. This is a hearty salad, and can be served either warm or cold, depending on the season and your preference. I served it cold as a side at a picnic type dinner, but it would be equally good warm (or hot) with a hot winter meal.