Farro Farm Salad
Makes 8-10 servings

Farro is a lesser known grain, but is well worth becoming acquainted with! The grains are larger than rice and feature a chewy character with a nutty taste. Fresh from the field peas, corn and kale marry perfectly with the farro in this salad. The pistachios offer another layer of nuttiness. The farm-fresh components are wedded together with a mustard vinaigrette that tickles the taste buds. It’s a tasty and colorful addition to the summer dinner table.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups farro
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained
1-1/2 cups baby peas, blanched (or 10 oz. frozen)
1-1/2 cups corn, blanched (or frozen)
2 cups baby kale, torn into small pieces
1 carrot, finely diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
extra for shaving on top (optional)

Dressing
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. COOK the farro in the vegetable broth seasoned with salt over low heat for 30 minutes or until the grains become tender.

2. DRAIN and RINSE the chickpeas, set aside in a bowl.

3. SHELL the peas, and CUT the kernels from the corn cobs. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. ADD the peas and corn to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately remove the vegetables from the boiling water and immerse in ice-cold water to halt the cooking for 5 minutes. DRAIN well.

4. STEM the kale and tear into small bite-sized pieces.

5. DICE the carrot into a fine dice. WASH and thinly slice the scallions.

6. CHOP the pistachios coarsely. GRATE the Parmesan cheese.

7. MIX the dressing ingredients together with an immersion blender or by whisking vigorously. POUR the mixed dressing over the cooked farro. Allow the farro to cool before adding the remainder of the ingredients.

8. ADD the vegetables, pistachios, and cheese to the cooked farro and toss to combine evenly. SERVE with extra shavings of Parmesan cheese.