FARRO SALADWITH TOMATOES AND FRESH HERBS
FAMILY DINNER: Gather the family for mustard- garlic roast pork loin. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make a paste with 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves ( crushed), 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/ 2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/ 4 teaspoon black pepper. Massage into a 3- to 4- pound boneless pork loin roast. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature is 145 to 160 degrees. Remove from oven. Cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with this farro salad with tomatoes and fresh herbs, mixed salad greens and flatbread. Everyone will like banana pudding for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough pork ( see recipe, Page 7) and farro salad ( see recipe, Page 4) for more meals during the week.
Ingredients
1 1/ 2 cups farro ( see tip) 1 teaspoon coarse salt plus more to taste 1 pound heirloom, garden grown or other tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/ 2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped 1/ 2 cup seeded and chopped cucumber 1/ 4 cup snipped fresh chives 1/ 4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley 1 large clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 1/ 4 cup extra- virgin olive oil Servings: makes about 8 cups Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: for the farro
Rinse farro under cold running water 2 minutes; drain. Cook farro with 1 teaspoon salt according to directions, drain. Transfer to large bowl to cool. When cool, add tomatoes, onion, cucumber, chives and parsley. Toss to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, vinegar, salt to taste, pepper and oil. Add to salad and toss to mix. Refrigerate overnight or serve immediately at room temperature.
Tip: I cooked the farro in a slow cooker with 5 cups water for 3 hours on high, then drained and cooled. It’s your choice how you cook it.
Per ( 1 cup) serving: 206 calories, 6 grams protein, 7 grams fat ( 30 percent calories from fat), 1 gram saturated fat, 29 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 268 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Carb count: 2.