I’m creature of habit, that is not to say I’m boring, I’m adventurous enough (i think), I just tend to repetitively drift into familiar and comfortable routines – which is why I go to New York at a certain time of the year, every year.

I got my ticket a few weeks ago, and along with my list of new and daring exploits, I’ll be crisscrossing the city revisiting old haunts.
Predictably, I’ll spend an afternoon on the High Line, I’ll get a haircut at Miss Jessie’s and I’ll probably eat macarons at the park and visit a museum. And how can my sweet tooth resist Momofuku’s Milk Bar?

I know I’ll go to Eataly for breakfast, and because I liked it so much the last time, I’ll also have the farro and vegetables again for dinner

Eataly is where I discovered farro, and when I got home last year, I wanted to make Farro everything! Remember this four bean salad with farro?

Farro is the earthy nutrient-rich grain that adds a rich and nutty texture to salads, risottos and soups and can replace rice or pasta in just about any recipe. I love farro for breakfast too – cooked overnight in coconut milk with a dash of nutmeg, sweetened with maple syrup or honey and topped with nuts and fruits.

Then there’s this farro salad… another favourite; with hearty lentils and sweet peppers, onions, roasted corn, carrots and sundried tomatoes dressed in a luscious and bold parsley vinaigrette – a simple warm salad, toothsome and colourful. A thing of beauty…

A few notes on this salad – personally, I love onions, but not everyone is crazy about raw onions in their salad, sautéing the onions before adding them to the salad, would not only tame the onions, it’ll give the salad a rich sweet boost.
So while the farro and lentils are cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in skillet over medium heat and cook the onions for a few minutes (stirring occasionally) until nicely caramelized, set aside to use later on when assembling your salad

Also, salt the farro and lentils when cooking them so that it’s nicely seasoned before adding to the salad.
Go here to learn how to cook farro, and here for lentils

If the vinaigrette seems familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it here before, and I’ve made it several times subsequently – sometimes with cilantro.

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Farro and Lentil Salad with Parsley Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup cooked farro
• 1 cup cooked lentils (I used Puy / French green lentils)
• 1 bell pepper (or 1/2 red and 1/2 green), chopped
• 1 onion, chopped (or 2 onions, caramelized)
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted corn (I used Trader Joe’s Fire-Roasted Corn), cooked
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon chopped sundried tomatoes
• Toasted pecans for topping and sprigs of parsley for garnish

Dressing (From Bon Appetit)

• 1 cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 11/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tablespoon Champagne vinegar (or white rice vinegar)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine farro, lentils, bell pepper, onions, carrots, corn and sundried tomatoes in a medium salad bowl and toss to mix
2. Make dressing by pulsing parsley, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic in a food processor until well blended
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper
4. Add enough of the dressing to coat the salad and mix gently (Reserve the rest for serving)
5. Taste and check seasoning, and add more salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary
6. Serve, drizzled with more dressing (if required), topped with a handful of toasted pecans and garnished with parley sprigs.
7. Enjoy!

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