Lorelei, my sister, gets full credit for discovering this dish and an ingredient that I had never heard of before—Farro. Farro is an ancient grain that has a nutty, appetizing texture. The herbs in the salad give it a very aromatic freshness, and the fresh veggies help you embrace a healthy choice. 

It isn’t any secret that cooking your own meals gives you an opportunity to control the amount of fats, sugars and use quality of ingredients. There are so many boxes this recipe checks when the goal is to put a healthy meal on the table. Low in fat. Check. Leafy green vegetables. Check. Nutritious. Check. It is a guilt free recipe to share with friends. 

Lorelei received the ultimate compliment  when our health conscious friends Chani Beeman and Paul Suino requested a copy of the recipe. The tag line to the Mangia by Pia cookbook project describes it best and a perfect example of what I mean when I say ‘its not all about the food’. In this case cooking and sharing meals with friends helps to build bonds and strengthen relationships, it gives us a feeling of accomplishment, and expresses our creativity. (Does that make sense?)
This unique salad is something you want to pack up and take to a dinner party. It holds up well and can be a nice vegetarian dish or add chicken for a heartier meal.

Ellie Krieger – Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 C Farro
• 3 C Water, or more as needed
• ½ C Pecan pieces
• 2 C Baby spinach leaves, chopped
• ½ English cucumber, peeled and diced
• 2/3 C Feta cheese, crumbled (2/3 cup)
• 1 Scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced¼ C Flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 T Fresh dill, chopped
• 2 T Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T Fresh lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ t Kosher salt
• 1/8 t Ground black pepper

Directions

• Place the farro in a large saucepan. Add the water to cover. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the farro is tender yet still somewhat chewy, about 30 minutes. Drain, then transfer the farro to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
• Toast the walnuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Cool, then coarsely chop.
• Add the spinach, cucumber, feta, scallion, parsley, dill, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the bowl of cooled farro; toss until well incorporated. 
• Divide among individual plates or a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans. Serve as a vegetarian main course, or with a protein like rotisserie chicken.