One Pot Farro with Tomatoes

Something that I like to do on Sunday is fix an easy supper that makes enough to have leftovers for a lunch or two during the week.  Actually, I’m a big fan of getting a second dinner out of leftovers too.  This dish is pretty simple to put together, it is cooked in one pot and includes delicious little tomatoes, one of the joys of summer.  It is from Smitten Kitchen, which in turn was adapted from a version in Martha Stewart using pasta instead of farro.

It is one of those creations that seem to be greater than the sum of its parts. I picked up grape tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market but this time of year you can find colorful, sweet cherry or grape tomatoes at Trader Joe’s and Safeway too. The Smitten Kitchen recipe calls for ½ of a large onion and I used a whole medium-large one and it cooks down in the finished dish, which was so sweet, mellow, and tomato-y that I am ready to make it again.  Basil and grated Parmesan cheese are the finishing touches.  Without the cheese, you might want to increase the salt a bit.

Farro with Tomatoes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves: 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side (or dinner and a lunch or two)

2 cups water

1 cup semi-pearled farro (sometimes labeled whole farro) or Trader Joe’s 10 minute Farro (I’ve only done it using the 10-minute Farro)

1 onion (I used a yellow onion)

2 cloves garlic

9 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

To serve:

Few basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons

Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Put water and farro in a medium saucepan to presoak while you prepare the other ingredients. Five or ten minutes is enough time.  If you are using the 10-Minute Farro, you can omit the presoaking.

Cut onion in quarters and thinly slice.  Add to the pot

Thinly slice garlic and add to the pot.

Halve or quarter tomatoes and add to the pot.

Add salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil to pot.

Bring uncovered pot to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 30 minutes.

Farro should be tender but with a little chewiness, and the cooking water will be completely or almost completely absorbed. If needed, cook for 5 more minutes.

You can double the recipe.

In the comments on the Smitten Kitchen site, several people suggested adding some canned white beans near the end of the cooking time, which is a great idea.  I had this with leftover grilled chicken and a green salad.  Delish.  I thought it was also great cold for lunch.

As always, thanks for the visit.  Please do comment as it makes me so happy!  If you try the recipe, I’d love to hear about it.

Day 6: Infused Oil

My creation for today: garlic, lemon, thyme and chili flakes infused in oil.  Easy, beautiful and a delicious addition to many dishes.  I’d received a bottle of infused oil for Christmas (thanks, Mirs) and following the directions on the tag I put it in the fridge.  It got forgotten lost amongst the condiment bottles but when I discovered it again I started drizzling it into salads and over vegetables.  I dipped bread in it and put a little into a warm bowl of cannellini beans.

But then it was gone and I had a pretty, little bottle.  An empty, pretty, little bottle.

I read a few recipes online and thought it would be a simple project for Day 6 of 30 Days of Creativity.  I put two long curls of lemon peel with the white pith removed, two cloves of garlic, a few stems of fresh thyme and a pinch of red pepper flakes into the  bottle.  I warmed plain canola oil in a glass measure in the microwave and poured it over the contents of the bottle. Once it was cooled down, Rem closed the lid and put it in the fridge.  That’s it!  It needs to stay in the fridge and best to use within 3 weeks to avoid any risk of nasty bacteria.

It was so easy I still had creative energy to spare, so I made a tag for the bottle.

I appreciate the visit, thanks for stopping by!