This recipe from Ina Garten’s new cookbook Cook Like a Pro, is based on the farro salad served at New York City’s Charlie Bird restaurant. Farro is cooked in apple juice or cider, then tossed with a lemony vinaigrette, pistachios, parsley, mint, tomatoes and radishes. Delicious!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used pure apple juice instead of cider. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, genuine Parmesan cheese that does not contain additives and pistachios with no colour or preservatives added.

This salad contains arugula, herbs, tomatoes, radishes and pistachios.

Toss the cooked farro with the vinaigrette and let stand for 15 minutes.

Charlie Bird's Farro Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) pearled farro (6 ounces/170 g)

1 cup (250 ml) fresh apple cider

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup (125 ml) good olive oil

¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup (125 ml) roasted, salted pistachios, whole or chopped

1 cup (250 ml) roughly chopped fresh parsley

1 cup (250 ml) roughly chopped fresh mint leaves

1 cup (250 ml) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved through the stem

1/3 cup (85 ml) thinly sliced radishes (2 to 3 radishes)

2 cups (500 ml) baby arugula

½ cup (125 ml) shaved Italian Parmesan cheese

Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Preparation:

Place the farro, apple cider, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt, and 2 cups (500 ml) water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the farro is tender. (If all the liquid is absorbed before the farro is tender, add a little more water.)

Drain the farro and transfer to a large serving bowl. Discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile, in a small measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt, and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the warm farro and set aside for at least 15 minutes to cool. Before serving, stir in the pistachios, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and radishes.

Add the arugula and lightly fold in the Parmesan so as not to break it up too much. Sprinkle with the sea salt and serve immediately. Serves 6.

From Cook Like a Pro by the Barefoot Contessa