Farro Vegetarian Jambalaya

[Guest guest]

6 cups vegetable stock, recipe follows

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups whole grain farro (or spelt), picked over for impurities and rinsed

2 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups quartered cremini mushrooms

1/4 pound okra, halved lengthwise

1/4 pound whole baby carrots, tops removed and scrubbed

1 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch thick half circles

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer. Lower the

heat to keep warm.

 

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the

onions, peppers, and celery and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the

garlic and farro to the pan and cook, stirring, until the faro is

toasted and coated with oil, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes,

mushrooms, okra, baby carrots, zucchini, bay leaf, and thyme, and cook,

stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of the warm stock, salt, black

pepper, and cayenne, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low

and simmer, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the

stock, 2 cups at a time, as the previous addition is absorbed, cooking

and stirring, until all the stock is used and the grains are plump and

tender.

 

Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and

adjust the seasoning,to taste. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Okay, here's another grain I've never tried! Anyone else???

 

Here's what I found out:

 

" Farro: Grain of the Legions

 

" Grano Farro has a long and glorious history: it is the original grain from

which all others

derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of

years;

somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that

expanded

throughout the Western World. Ground into a paste and cooked, it was also the

primary

ingredient in plus, the polenta eaten for centuries by the Roman poor.

Important as it

was, however, it was difficult to work and produced low yields. In the centuries

following

the fall of the Empire, higher-yielding grains were developed and farro's

cultivation

dwindled: By the turn of the century in Italy there were a few hundreds of

acres of fields

scattered over the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches and Tuscany.

 

" Farro would probably still be an extremely local specialty had the farmers of

the French

Haute Savoie not begun to supply it to elegant restaurants that used it in

hearty

vegetable soups and other dishes. Their success sparked renewed interest in

farro among

gastronomes, and now the grain is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Italy

as well,

especially among trendy health-conscious cooks.

 

At this point you may be wondering exactly what farro is. According to . . . "

 

AND at this point I refer you to the website to find out more, including how to

use it, the

difference between farro and other grains, blah blah blah. Worth a read! (Note:

site is not

vegetarian)

 

http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0002.htm

 

best love, pat

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the recipe, Carolyn - Can you please give me a hint or something

about the

flavour of Farro? Is it like rice? Or more like, say, wheatberries? Or what?

 

love, pat