Hopefully, winter is almost over and we can move on to capri pants, sunshine and more colorful fruits and veggies.  But I won’t believe it until I see it.  

So until then, here is a fun dish to make. 

It’s made with farro but you could always use barley, wheat berries or even brown rice.  I choose to use farro because I wanted something a little different and I wanted to share farro with a cooking class I was teaching.  

In case you aren’t sure about it farro, here is a little info from the NY Times.

A grain of farro looks and tastes somewhat like a lighter brown rice. It has a complex, nutty taste with undertones of oats and barley. But lacking the heaviness of many whole-wheat grains, farro tastes more elegant than earnest.

Because farro contains a starch similar to that found in Arborio rice, it behaves much like risotto, releasing a creamy, binding liquid when cooked. But unlike risotto, farro doesn’t become gummy; instead, it retains its tender, distinct bite, even if it sits awhile after cooking.

Farro is rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E. It grows best in barren, high-altitude terrain and is almost always grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Because it is so easily digested and so low in gluten, farro can often be eaten by people who are normally gluten-intolerant.

Farro with Mushrooms & Onions

• 1 c. farro
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1.5 c. chopped mushrooms
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
• 2 T. dry sherry
• salt + pepper
• 1 T. sherry vinegar

You can now get a little bag of farro from Trader Joe’s for under $2.  It’s a great way to experiment with it!

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