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Provenance of Dish
This salad is the result of having a bag of farro sitting in my cupboard, plenty of dried morels from a burn here in Colorado, and my ongoing love affair with feta cheese. It is simple, hearty, and delicious.
A word about farro: farro can come from any of three types of hulled wheat: spelt, einkorn, or emmer, and can be whole grain, semi-pearled, or pearled. Each is slightly different and cooking times vary, so follow the directions given and be patient with it and yourself!
Recipe
Ingredients
¾ oz dried morels
1 cup uncooked farro
2 cups chopped baby spinach
1/3 cup crumbled feta (French or Bulgarian if you can find it!)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a bit more for sautéing the morels
1-2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the morels in a ceramic bowl and cover with ample boiling water. Cover, let sit 20 minutes, and drain, reserving the liquid.
Heat the appropriate amount of liquid to cook 1 cup of farro in a saucepan, replacing water with as much reserved soaking liquid as you have. Be sure to add a few pinches of salt!
While the farro cooks, slice the morels into quarters or sixths lengthwise (depending on size) and heat a small skillet on medium low. When hot, add the mushrooms and cook for a minute with nothing in the pan, then add a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sauté for about five minutes, or until browned.
When the farro is done to your liking, drain any excess liquid and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped spinach and stir until it is wilted from the warm farro. Let cool for a few minutes, then add the onion, crumbled feta, and morels.
Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice, adding a bit of salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and stir to mix evenly. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
