What I did with my earnings: Mediterranean Farro Salad

This was my first venture into the world of farro, so this recipe is based on and lightly adapted from Giada De Laurentiis's farro salad. Giada's recipe supposedly made 6 side servings, but my husband and I found it to be more like 4.

Here's What You're Gonna Need:
1 1/2 cups of farro (the grain, not the Egyptian ruler--that wouldn't be vegetarian)
1 tsp of kosher salt + another 1/2 tsp for dressing

8 oz green beans

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-2 in strips

1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or a mix of red and white wine vinegars)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs dijon mustard
black pepper

8+ oz pitted black olives (use the whole can if you want to)
1 small bunch of chives, snipped with scissors until you get tired of snipping them with scissors (I made it through about 3/4 of the bunch)
as much crumbled feta as your heart desires (but at least 4 oz)


And Here's What You're Gonna Do:

Bring 4 cups of water and farro is a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, turn the heat down to medium low, and simmer for 20 mins. Lift the lid and add 1 tsp of kosher salt. Slap the lid back on, and finish simmering until farro is tender, about another 10 mins. Drain farro and put it in a big bowl to cool on the counter. Transfer it to the fridge after about 10 mins or so to finish cooling.

While the farro is chillin', get everything else ready. Boil or steam the green beans for 2 minutes, then give them an ice water bath to stop them from cooking any further-you want them to be crisp for the salad. Drain the green beans and add the red peppers to their bowl. Set aside and make the dressing.

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard and a few grinds of pepper (about a tsp) and the other 1/2 tsp of salt.

Add green beans, red peppers, and black olives to the chilled farro. Snip chives into the bowl. Bring the feta into the mix, top the whole shabang with the dressing, and gently stir to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients. Although it's highly doubtful there will be anything remaining, this salad holds up well for lunch the next day.

At least the salad was pretty.

Vegetarian Day 1:
As is our Sunday morning custom, Ella and I made a pit stop at Dunkin' Donuts to fortify ourselves before church. Ella ordered her usual, a doughnut with white icing and all different colored sprinkles. "And I'll have a medium coffee and a chocolate doughnut with bacos sprinkles," I told the lady at the counter. Then I remembered I was a vegetarian now, and glumly canceled my order. "I'll just have an apple fritter instead," I said, punishing myself for my forgetfulness. The fritter turned out to be highly unsatisfying and, actually, a little gross. Next week I'm going back to the jelly doughnut sans ham filling.

For lunch I had a yogurt and three chocolate turtles. They were they kind of turtles that involved peanuts and caramel dipped in chocolate, not actual turtles dipped in chocolate, as that wouldn't be vegetarian.

Sunday night is traditionally pasta night at our house. This seems like it would be a gift from the born again half-assed vegetarian gods, but no. As I rifled through the freezer I realized all I had in there were sauces involving cow, turkey, and assorted sausage animals. As it was too late to start a new pot of moo-free sauce, I settled on some Pesto Tortellini Bowls that I bought from Trader Joes on a wild spree of meatless shopping. They looked pretty lame-o, but ended tasting reasonably good so I decided to stay on the wagon for another day.

A little ghetto looking, yet tasty ghetto.




At least the salad was pretty.