Another tasty and satisfying recipe from NYTimes Cooking, this time from Martha Rose Schulman. We made a few minor changes and kept it mostly vegan (we added some parmesan at the end which you can omit or replace with nutritional yeast). It’s a very autumnal dish that has some vague overtones of risotto while being a little more rough and ready for the season.
For this you’ll need: 1-1/2 cups farro, 1 quart vegetable stock, 1/2 onion (peeled and chopped), 1 lb assorted mushrooms (we used a mix of wild, oyster, shiitake, cremini, etc; chopped), 2 cloves garlic (crushed, peeled and chopped), 1 Tbsp rosemary (preferably fresh, chopped), 1/2 cup white wine, 1/4 cup parsley (fresh, chopped), olive oil, salt, pepper.
Soak the farro in hot water in a bowl large enough to allow the water to cover the grain by about 1″. Set aside.
Meanwhile in a large skillet or Dutch oven (this will eventually hold about 6 cups of liquid, farro and everything else, so plan well) add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir well and cook until just softening – about 3 mins. Add the chopped mushrooms and stir well to combine and coat. If they seem a bit dry, add a little bit more oil. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and just beginning to brown – about 5 mins. Add in the garlic and rosemary and stir well to combine everything.
Drain the farro reserving the water they soaked in in a separate bowl.
Add the farro to the onions/mushrooms and stir well. Cook until the farro is separated and starts to crackle – about 2 mins. Add the wine and stir well to combine. Cook until all of the wine is absorbed – about 3-4 mins, and then add all of your stock and about 1 cup of the farro soaking water (reserving the rest in case it is needed later). Season with salt and pepper then bring the mixture to a boil and immediately reduce the heat so that it gently simmers. Cover the pot/pan and let it simmer over medium heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed – about 50 minutes.
Lift the cover and stir well a few times while it cooks. If it seems to be drying out too quickly before the farro is moist, add a bit more of the soaking water to loosen it up.
Once the farro is fully cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed (there should be enough liquid left to give a slightly thick sauce throughout), remove from heat and serve with fresh parsley and grated parmesan on top.
We served this alongside some roasted potatoes and acorn squash and it was lovely.
Dinner at Our Place 