splendid for snacking

Ok, I’ll admit it. This is another riff on a wonderful recipe from Plenty.  I can’t help myself–that cookbook is just so damn good. It’s unbelievable how many creative approaches to preparing vegetables and grains are explored between its covers. And this salad is another perfect example of Ottolenghi’s delicious and straight forward technique. Of course, this one especially spoke to me because farro is one of my favorite grains–I love its nuttiness, meaty texture and the way it adapts to many flavor combinations.

Easy, peasy. Begin by making the farro: bring a 2 to 3 quart saucepan almost filled with water to a boil. Add a large pinch of sea salt and the farro and bring back to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes, until farro is just cooked through but still al dente. Drain and let cool.

To roast the peppers, place them over an open flame and cook until black and blistered. Using tongs, turn the pepper to cook all sides. Repeat with second pepper.

Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to allow the peppers to steam for 15 to 20 minutes–this will make them easier to peel. Alternatively, you can roast the peppers by placing them on a baking sheet under a broiler. Turn them frequently until they blacken on all sides and then steam in the same manner. This method will yield a softer pepper.

Prepare the dressing by first finely chopping fresh oregano leaves. Place them in a small bowl and add the pressed garlic clove, juice of 1 lemon, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.

Take the peppers from the bowl, scrape off the blistered skin, and pull off the stem end, removing the seeds with it. Using the edge of a chef’s knife, scrape any remaining seeds from the inside flesh of the peppers; roughly chop them.

Chop the white and light green parts of a bunch of scallions. Wash and spin dry the baby arugula leaves and roughly chop them. Crumble the feta cheese–as always, I prefer to use French Valbresso feta, which is creamier and less salty than the Greek varieties. In a large bowl, mix the drained farro with about half of the dressing and toss well. 

Gently stir in the chopped roasted peppers, scallions, and arugula. Add the crumbled feta, then taste and add more dressing and/or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

This is a great accompaniment to roasted meat or fish (we enjoyed it alongside marinated lamb chops), but it also tastes even better the next day. The perfect snack straight from the fridge!

Adapted from Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi
Serves 4 to 6, as a side or snack:

1 cup farro
sea salt
2 red bell peppers
1 bunch scallions
1 cup baby arugula leaves
4 ounces feta cheese, preferably French Valbresso

Dressing:

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1 large garlic clove, pressed
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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