Posted on March 19, 2009 - by napavalleybath

A Spin from Jamie Olivers – Insalata di Farro con Verdure al Forno

I wasn’t planning on offering you this but I opened to a page in Jamie Oliver’s cookbook….”Jamie’s Italy”…and it came to his Farro recipe.  Okay…I held off for 2 1/2 months but just had to purchase his Italian cookbook….at first I wouldn’t allow myself to buy a cookbook from a chap from London…while I had all the resources of Italian cooking at my fingertips….but I was weak yesterday….and I love J Oliver….and the colors and pictures in the book were so captivating….and then the recipe….I caved in.  But….lucky you….it was because of this recipe that I’m going to introduce a product that until today was only available to our Club Members…..Organic Farro!

Ingredients

• 14 oz. Farro
• 3 yellow zucchini, halved lengthwise and deseeded
• 2 green zucchini, halved lengthwise and deseeded
• 2 bulbs of fennel, trimmed and thickly sliced, herby tops reserved
• 1 red onion
• 2 red peppers, halved, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 2 eggplants, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Sparkling Wine Vinegar
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Organic Grey Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• A bunch of fresh herbs…flat leaf parsley, basil, mint, oregano
• A squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Soak the farro in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain.  Slice the zucchini across into chunky half-moons and put them into a large roasting tray.  Add the remaining vegetables and the garlic cloves and toss together with a good dose of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Try to spread the vegetables into one layer, as they’ll roast better this way.  Roast in a preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes, removing the trays and carefully shaking them now and then until the vegetables are cooked through and crisp around the edges.  Sprinkle a little vinegar over the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven and set aside to cool.  When cool, tip on to a large chopping board, add the fresh herbs and chop finely.

Place the farro in a large saucepan, cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender, and drain well.  Dress with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the lemon juice, season with sea salt and pepper, and toss with the roasted herby vegetables.  Scatter over the reserved fennel tops and serve.

Observations

Can’t wait to try this soon…sounds amazing!!