Recipe: Faro and Roasted Vegetable Salad

AND... We're back!

So it has been a long while. I haven’t posted all summer, because Maru and I have been in the process of traveling and moving, moving and traveling. It’s been a little hectic! But now we are settled into our apartment in Brooklyn, NY!! We’ve got a great little place, we’ve made the small kitchen entirely functional, and in spite of all the wonderful eating out options this city has to offer, we still plan on making our own food on a regular basis. Take, for example, this hearty salad we made this past week. I actually copied this idea from a recipe in one of Jaime Oliver’s cookbooks. It’s one of my new favorite things. It requires very little actual work and this time of year, with vegetables everywhere, it is really cheap. With tons of vegetables and a healthy, whole-grain base, this one is good for you too. You will be amazed at how tasty this dish is. You could use it as a side dish with just about any entrée, but it also stands as a meal all on it’s own.

The time for this recipe goes into waiting for vegetables to roast. It will not be ready quickly, but this recipe makes a lot of food. You’ll have leftovers for quick weekday lunches or snacks. I’ve listed the ingredients that I used, but you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and/or that you like. The original recipe calls for faro or spelt, which is fabulous if you can find it; nutty and chewy. Bulgur is much easier to come across and also good. Either way, enjoy!

Faro (Bulgur) salad with roasted vegetables

2 cups faro or bulgur

1 medium-size eggplant

2 medium-size zucchini or summer squash

2 red bell peppers

1 ear of corn

1 fennel bulb

1 large onion

4-6 cloves of garlic

A little under ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar (or an herb vinegar)

Salt and pepper to taste

Up to ½ cup olive oil

¾ cup chopped fresh herbs (a combination of parsley, mint, and basil is best)

Grated parmigiano or romano cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F. Slice the eggplant and zucchini or summer squash into ¼” thick half moons. Roughly chop the bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Remove the leafy part of the fennel bulb and set aside. Remove the tough outer later of the bulb, then thinly slice the rest. Cut the ear of corn into three pieces. Place all of the vegetables in a shallow roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Ideally, you want the vegetables to be in one even layer, so you will probably need two roasting pans. Place the pans in the oven and roast the vegetables for 40-50 minutes or until they begin to brown evenly. Every 10 minutes or so, give them a stir with a pair of tongs. Once they come out of the oven, drizzle some vinegar on them and let them cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, place the faro or bulgur in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let sit for 20 minutes. Pour off the soaking liquid, put the soaked grain in a large pot, cover with double the amount of water, add a dash of salt, and place on the stove on high heat to bring to a boil. Simmer the grain for about 15-20 minutes or until tender but still slightly chewy. Drain off the water and place in a large bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then let it cool slightly.

Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, give them all a rough chop. The chop doesn’t have to be pretty. This is a rustic dish. You just want things to be more or less bite size. The corn can be cut right off of the cob. Add the chopped veggies to the grain, and then add the herbs and the leafy part of the fennel. Generously salt and pepper the salad, add another drizzle of vinegar and oil, then mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm with grated parmigiano or romano.