January 2015

This recipe is a bit time-intensive up front, but it makes a huge amount of food – you’ll be enjoying bowl after bowl of this all week long! We even like it for breakfast, topped with a poached egg. You should be able to find farro, an ancient Italian grain, in your local preferred grocery store, but you can also find it in the bulk bins at the Abundance Co-Op on Marshall St.!

Barley and Farro Risotto

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

¾ cup uncooked farro

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

sea salt

½ cup unsalted butter, divided

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 clove of garlic, chopped

2 cups uncooked barley

7 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup grated Parmesan

Delicata Squash, cubed and cooked

½ tsp curry powder

chives, chopped (garnish)

Start by cooking the farro- add farro, 1 ¾ cups water and 1 Tablespoon olive oil to a small saucepan. Stir, bring to simmer, cover, and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Leave covered for ten minutes (turn off heat), then fluff with fork.

In a separate large pot, add onions, remaining oil, salt, and ¼ cup of butter. Cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Add barley and 2 cups of broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until barley has absorbed most of the broth; then add another cup of broth. Continue in this way, adding one cup of broth at a time, until barley is tender and cooked through. Once cooked, stir in the farro. Risotto should have a porridge-like texture, with a little bite to it.

Stir in the Parmesan. In a small saucepan, add ¼ cup butter and cook until browned. Add curry powder and stir to dissolve.

Serve hot risotto in bowls, topped with cubed squash, chives, and curried brown butter.