Farro Salad With Corn & Feta

I discovered farro, where else, in Italy. I was very pleasantly surprised to find it at Balducci's and Whole Foods not long after I returned home in 2005. It was soon available at various places online too. I began using it to make cold salads or farotto (cooked in the style of risotto) because of it's whole grain makeup and nice nutty flavor.

Fah-ro? Fair-o? Pharaoh?

At this point it has grown in popularity, and if you eat at italian restaurants at least occasionally you've probably come across it. I'm the guy who shows up with this "is it rice, is it barley?" grain at parties (I just keep it in my pockets and take it out by the handful to show people when it comes up in conversation). It's not the same as wheat berries; unlike those, this species of whole wheat becomes tender and chewier than rice after about 30 minutes of cooking. Call it Spelt, call it Emmer, the jury is still out.

My love affair with farro is due to my documented hangup from time to time about eating "white carbs". Now, I know when to say when when it's time to dive into a bowl of pasta or a hunk of white bread, but my cantankerous glycemic index never lets me forget it. Luckily, I love farro for being farro, not just because it's a reasonable alternative to something else better tasting.

This dish is a Summery idea to utilize seasonal vegetables and just mix flavors. Carbs on carbs with the corn, but so what, who cares? I could have dumped all kinds of things in here, but remember, with good materials less is more. I was given a gift of family olive oil from Calabria by friends (thanks Leslie, Lori, Kevin, Dean, James, Kylee and the Chiapettas in general!), too good to use for cooking, so I employed it generously here.

Ingredients:

1 bag whole farro

5 small to medium ears of corn, shucked

1 bell pepper, any color you like, diced the size of corn kernals

3 scallions, sliced

1/2 cup good ricotta salata (not the chalky stuff) or feta, grated or diced the size of corn kernals

High quality extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the farro in a wide pot and cover by several inches with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then maintain a gentle boil. At this point add the ears of corn to the water and blanch for 2-3 minutes each (raise the heat of the stove if it loses its boil). Then shock the corn in an ice bath, drain and dry off. Cut the it off the cob and set aside.

Check for doneness on the farro after 30 minutes and add a couple to a few tablespoons of salt to the water. Remove the farro when it is al dente but not crunchy. Drain and let cool for 10 minutes in a large bowl, stirring periodically to flush out the steam and excess moisture. Add some olive oil to prevent sticking.

When the farro is no longer hot, just slightly warm, add the corn, peppers and scallions to incorporate. Lubricate with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the cheese and mix gently to combine--don't overmix. Finish off with more olive oil until it glistens.