Standing in the grocery aisle, I recently caught myself asking....What is Farro?

After asking, “what is Farro?” My second question was, “How can I prepare this to make a delicious meal?”




On a recent trip to the natural food store I happened to see a package of “Italian Pearled Farro,” An organic product from Nature’s Earthly Choice. It was located near the Rice, Quinoa and Couscous.

“Pearled” means that the outer husk has been removed. Having that process already done is a good thing for us campers!

For those of you wondering if Farro is gluten free, it is not. Although it contains lower levels of gluten, it is a type of wheat and should be avoided if you are gluten intolerant.

A look back: What is Farro’s history.

Originally from the Middle East, Farro, a type of wheat, is one of the oldest cultivated grains. These days Farro comes almost exclusively from the Tuscany area of Italy where it has been a mainstay diet since roman times.

How to prepare Farro.

After a quick look at the cooking instructions, the bag of Farro was in the grocery cart and headed for home. The plan was to come up with something fast, simple and nutritious for camping. Initially I was looking for some variations of a stir fry meal or, maybe a nutritious soup. (I plan to experiment with those later.) As it turns out, Farro probably works best in salads. Having something refreshing and filling on a hot summer’s day is good thing.

After searching for recipe ideas on the internet, I did find a lot complicated salad recipes that wouldn’t go all that well in a camping environment. Dicing vegetables and herbs for 30 minutes at a campsite didn’t seem at all appealing.

After experimenting in the kitchen I came up with a quick simple salad. I’ll call it the, “What is Farro Recipe.”

The directions said to bring Farro and water to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes. It seemed that 20 minutes worked a bit better at our elevation of 7900 ft. After-all, water boils at a lower temperature the higher you go in elevation.

Here is additional information on High Altitude Cooking.


Click on the link to download your free printable,
What is Farro Recipe PDF.


The “What is Farro” Recipe

Ingredients: (As always, to serve 2 people)

1 cup (6 oz./170g) – Farro (Earthly Choice Brand)
2 cups – Organic Spinach (chopped)
2 cups – Red Leaf Lettuce (chopped)
1 cup – Organic Cucumber (chopped)
¼ cup – White Onion (chopped)
1  cup ( or 2 med sized)– Tomatoes (chopped)
2 tbsp – Parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp – Cilantro (chopped)
5 tbsp – Olive Oil
5 tbsp – Red Wine Vinegar (Or, Balsamic if you prefer.)

Spices used:

I used Himalayan Salt. Any salt is fine.

Preparation: (Takes about 25 minutes total, not counting the time it takes to cool the Farro)

1 – Bring 2 cups water with 1 cup (6 oz) Farro to a boil. Stir then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Test after 15 minutes, the Farro should be chewy. In Italy they call it, “Al Dente.”

2 – Once the Farro is done, strain out the excess water and let cool to room temperature. (This takes the longest amount of time!)

3 – While the Farro is cooking and/or cooling down. Cut and chop up all the other ingredients.

4 – Once the Farro is cool enough, place all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the salt to taste and serve. You’re done!

Notes: The salad in front of me didn’t look like a lot but, it was delicious and very filling! Also, to make things easier for camping I may prepare the Farro ahead of time at home and keep it cold in the cooler until it’s time to prepare the salad.

Alternatives: Rather than using cucumber, red or green peppers make a great substitute. Also, some folks prefer the add salt when boiling the Farro, I did not for this one.

Enjoy!

Hope you’ll like the “What is Farro Recipe.”


Click the link to head back to the Vegetarian Camping Recipe page from the, What is Farro Recipe Page.


You may like these delicious vegetarian recipes....

A perfect quinoa recipe for your camping trip.

Click here to check out the edamame recipe.

Check out this delicious mushroom stew over rice recipe.

Here's an easy curry recipe to enjoy!

A versatile nutritious lentil recipe for camping.


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