Have you heard of farro? I had heard of it but it seems like there is a “new” old grain to try every week so I didn’t pay it much attention. Especially since the last thing I was told to try that I think of as trendy is still sitting in my pantry with only two servings having been used. And by “used” I don’t even mean eaten. I cooked it, forced it down. Then tried a second time and realized it can’t be that good for me if it is making me gag and making me dread eating breakfast. I believe sometimes there is a balance in eating healthy things. If buckwheat cereal was the only healthy think I ate, then I would eat it, but it is not. It was so mucus-y I just couldn’t eat it. Well, last night I ordered a farro salad. I usually don’t order salads for entrees, but I felt like having A LOT of greens so I decided to order one as a change of pace. I wasn’t entirely sure about it, but the roasted Brussels Sprouts were really calling to me.
It was really good. First of all, I never eat bacon any more because it just isn’t want it used to be, this bacon was good. But I had just glossed over that on the menu and forgot about it until my bowl came. I had ordered grilled chicken as an addition to the salad. Well, I have to say I really liked the farro. It was really soft. It was like biting into very large rice. But it didn’t feel like orzo. The texture was soft like rice and orzo, but the grain itself is more round it is really satisfying to chew. I have to like the texture of something otherwise I won’t eat it even it the flavor is fine . . . hence the buckwheat cereal* in my pantry.
I liked the texture of the farro and with the thought of it being an “ancient grain” to me it seems like good comfort food. So even though I was eating raw greens – kale even – the farro gave the salad a very comforting/nurturing feel.
So here is what I found for nutritional information for about 1/2 cup of ORGANIC PEARLED FARRO:
Energy 356 kcal
Protein 11.11 grams
Total lipid (fat) 2.22 grams
Carbohydrate 73.33 gram
Fiber (total dietary) 11.1 grams
Sugars 0 grams
Calcium, Ca 27 mg
Iron, Fe 2.22 mg
Potassium, K 393 mg
It has 0 Sodium, Vitamin D, Saturated fat, transfat, and Cholesterol.
Wiki has this to say about it “Farro is a food composed of the grains of certain wheat species, sold dried, and prepared by cooking in water until soft. It is eaten plain or is often used as an ingredient in salads, soups, and other dishes.”
I am thinking it really can be used like one would use rice. I bet I could use it in place of orzo in my Avgolemono. But I don’t know that I will ever do that because I love the orzo so much.
I really liked this salad, it was really good. I think I might even attempt making it at home, except I will switch out the parmesan for some Dubliner Cheese. The parmesan was too bitter. Since I can’t find good bacon I will need the salt of the Dubliner. Otherwise it would have been good with goat or even feta.
So, have you tried farro? Do you cook with it? What do you make?
*I just realized as I was re-re-re-reading this before publishing that when I was young we ate Buckwheat FLAKES cereal, and that was ok, but what I am talking about it like grits or cream of wheat with a cold or sinus infection. (Ewww.)