Farro Salad

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups farro
• 5 shallots
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• Arugula
• 1 ½ cup white wine
• 3 ½ cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¾ cup chopped dry apricots
• ½ cup toasted almonds
• 2 marinated portabello mushrooms (see recipe below)
• ½ eggplant
• 6 tablespoons Vincotto
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• Olive oil

METHOD

Peel and finely chop 3 garlic cloves, 3 shallots and ½ a bunch of thyme. In a medium size sauce pan, lightly sautée garlic and shallots, add farro and toast in Olive Oil for 3 to 5 minutes. Sautée garlic and shallots lightly, in a medium sauce pan, tie thyme with string. Reduce white wine by half, by adding chicken stock, cook till tender but firm for 30 to 40 minutes. Drain farro and allow to cool on a sheet pan.

While farro cool, peel and dice eggplant, sautée over high heat with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, allow to cool on a sheet pan. Sautee the toasted almonds with butter, olive oil and honey till lightly golden brown in color allow to cool on sheet pan, slice apricots. Drain marinated mushrooms, then grill or roast in oven till soft but firm. Allow to cool, chop and dice thinly.

Dressing

 Mix equal parts vincotto, then whisk in olive oil, rice wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. 

Preparing Vincotto

Reduce 5 cups of red wine to about 75%, add ½ cup of honey, 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 cloves, let simmer for 20mins.

Preparing and cleaning mushrooms:

Gently remove mushroom stem, using a spoon scrape the black part underneath mushroom, wash thoroughly.

Marinating mushrooms:

Add balsamic vinegar, shallots, garlic and thyme, bring to a boil. Pour the hot mixture over mushrooms and allow to cool.  Place mixture in refrigerator overnight to marinate.