One of my favorite bloggers, and now cookbook authors, is Deb Perelman who writes Smitten Kitchen. I’ve made a lot of recipes from her blog over the years, and I’ve loved every single thing. So I was really excited to try out the recipes in her cookbook, which my mom got me for Christmas. I was so fired up, I wanted to make something right when we got back to town, before I’d had time to go through and plan what to buy. Based on the ingredients I had, I was able to adapt one of her salads into my own creation. And although I’m sure the original version is scrumptious, my salad turned out delicious as well. This week is the third week in a row that we are having this for dinner. And for those of you looking for a new cookbook, I highly recommend picking this one up (I think my mom found it at Costco).
Ingredients (makes 4 healthy sized servings)
2 cups uncooked farro
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds carrots (you can buy the long ones with the stems still attached, or the small baby ones)
Salt
7 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons honey
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta (I bought the fat free kind at TJ’s)
Optional: you can add 1 teaspoon harissa to the dressing if you want an extra kick. I have not tried this because I am a wimp when it comes to spiciness, but Dave has been adding some chipotle dressing to his salad for that spicy flavor.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Boil a large pot of water. Once boiling, add the uncooked farro and cook (still on the high heat) for 10-12 minutes. Once done, drain and set aside.
2. While the farro is cooking, prepare your carrots. If you are using the long ones with the stems still on, break off the stems and peel the carrots. Then cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut each one of those halves into thin wedges. If you are using baby carrots, just cut each one in half. Lay out the carrots on two baking sheets. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil (I never measure for this step, but just drizzle until I feel satisfied). Then sprinkle salt on top and bake for about 20 minutes until the edges start to darken.
3. Once the farro is done, place it in a bowl and add the carrots. Next, mix the 7 tablespoons olive oil, honey, lemon, cumin and salt in a small bowl.
4. Pour over the farro and carrots. Finish with the chopped mint and feta. Now enjoy! This salad is one of those that’s just as good the next day, so make sure to save some for your lunch.
