Spring Vegetables over Herbed Farro
Carrots, asparagus and spring onions...oh my!
Welcome to spring produce season! If your grocery store is anything like mine, you will be overwhelmed by the selection of luscious looking treats in the produce section.
They say you eat with your eyes first and this recipe will certainly not disappoint visually. Bright oranges, vibrant purples and fresh greens will make your mouth form a smile before it opens up and devours the plate of food in front of you. I picked up some sweet petite carrots, asparagus, radishes, spring onions, arugula and purple cauliflower (because its pretty) for this week's recipe. Yes, it's a lot but they all bring their own unique, tasty flavors to the dish with very little work required on your part - olive oil, salt and pepper is all they really need to shine. They sit on top of a bed of farro with chickpeas and plenty of fresh parsley and a light, lemon garlic dressing.
Spring Vegetables over Herbed Farro
You'll notice I made my radishes into (imperfect) flowers! How do you do it? Cut a small slice off the top and bottom of each radish. Cut small wedges out of the radish vertically going all the way around. Attempt to make the cuts evenly spaced but don't worry if they aren't. Use a mandoline to slice 1/8 inch slices after the wedges are cut out.
Spring Vegetables over Herbed Farro
Colorful spring vegetables over herbed farro with a light lemon, garlic dressing
Serves: 4
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked farro
- 4 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 8 ounces petite carrots, sliced in half vertically
- 1 head purple cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 pound asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces (cut in half vertically first if thick stalks)
- 1/2 pound spring onions, tops cut off and quartered vertically (substitute scallions if can't find spring onions and cut into 2 inch pieces)
- 1 bunch of radishes, sliced 1/8 inch
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups arugula
- ¼ cup olive oil + more for cooking
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Handful of chives, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, for seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Roast the garlic by removing the outer papery skins of the bulb. Cut ¼ inch off the top of the bulb so the individual cloves are exposed. Drizzle olive oil over the top (approximately 1 tablespoon), making sure all the clove tops are covered. Wrap the bulb in foil and roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes. Carefully open the foil and make sure the cloves are soft and browned. When cooled enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out of the bulb and into a small bowl
- Prepare the farro by adding the farro and water/vegetable broth to a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes - the grain should be tender with some chewiness
- Place the carrots on a small baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 20 - 25 minutes until tender
- While the carrots are roasting, toss the cauliflower, asparagus and spring onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until tender.
- Prepare the dressing by adding the roasted garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, honey and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to a blender. Blend until combined. Taste and adjust flavors if necessary
- When the farro is done cooking, add it to a large bowl. Stir in the chickpeas, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Add more to taste
- Add the farro as the base of each plate and top with arugula, roasted vegetables, radishes and chives. Drizzle the extra dressing over top (there may be extra)
