#2,004: Warm Farro Salad with Charred Corn

Have you tried farro yet?  I had it about a year ago for the first time, and I totally fell in love with it's slightly nutty crunch and texture.  It's bigger than rice but has a better flavor than brown rice (in my opinion).  Plus it contains protein and fiber, yet is low fat.  I seriously love it.  So since I was in the mood for farro, and had an abundance of basil and tomatoes in my yard, I was excited to try this recipe for my lunches for the week.  PLUS, instead of the lemon juice, I decided to use 2 drops of Young Living's Lemon Vitality essential oil too.  I was super lazy though and had no desire to shuck or grill the corn, so I just pan seared some frozen corn kernels and used that instead.  YES, I agree, fresh corn would have been better, but I was going for quick and ease.  So if you have the extra time, by all means, use fresh sweet corn off the cob! As you can see by the text below, I also subbed out some ingredients for ones that I had on hand.  No disrespect to the original recipe, but why buy more ingredients when you don't need to?!

I really enjoyed this recipe.  I personally would suggest adding half of the vinaigrette, mixing it, and then adding more a little at a time.  I thought it was a bit much for my liking, and as this sat overnight (actually over 3 days as I ate it for my lunch for the week) the flavors got stronger, and a bit overpowering.  

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I used 2 drops of Young Living's Lemon Vitality essential oil)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallot (I used red onion since I had it on hand)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups farro
3 ears of corn, shucked (I used 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn kernels)
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (I omitted)
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped (I used pecans)
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives
2 tablespoons chiffonade fresh basil

Start by making the vinaigrette: In a bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, mustard and shallot; season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the salad, combine the cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Set aside.

Preheat a grill to high. Fill a large saucepan with 1 1/2 quarts water; add 1 tablespoon salt and the vinegar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the farro and gently simmer until al dente, 15 to 20 minutes; drain well. While the farro is warm, immediately mix with about three-quarters of the vinaigrette (set aside the rest to punch up or remoisten the salad later if necessary).

While the farro is cooking, brush the corn with the vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on the hot grill, turning with tongs, until charred, 10 minutes. Cut off the kernels. (I just got a skillet really hot, added a little olive oil, and then seared the frozen corn for a few minutes)

Stir the corn kernels, tomatoes, olives, pistachios and chives into the farro. Gently toss to combine; add more vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the basil.