Roasted Summer Vegetable & Farro Salad

Caramelized summer vegetables, fresh basil and sheep’s milk feta pair deliciously with the chewy texture of Farro in this sumptuous Roasted Summer Vegetable & Farro Salad

Summer salads are in full swing here at my house. Crisp and bitter greens, seasonal vegetables, ancient grains, fruit and cheese pretty much round out the list of my favorite ingredients. And occasionally, I add other enticing ingredients like shrimp, beef or chicken. That’s the beauty of making salad, I can prepare it with all sorts of fresh and delicious ingredients.

This Roasted Summer Vegetable & Farro Salad is my new creation. I’m sure it’s not an original idea, I just happened to have had a bazillion vegetables in my fridge that needed to be used.

Because I adore vegetables when they’re grilled or roasted, and then chilled for a quick side dish, I thought why not add some Farro and sheep’s milk feta and call it a salad?

This Roasted Summer Vegetable & Farro Salad was an instant hit and I’ve got leftovers for lunch today, and probably tomorrow. It holds up well to refrigeration and even tastes better the next day.

I’ve listed a rough recipe below. Just something to use as a guideline for creating this Roasted Summer Vegetable & Farro Salad. If you prefer using a different grain, I also recommend Einkorn berries, pearled barley, pearled couscous, Freekah, and buckwheat is a good option for gluten-free.

Before I close out this post, I’d like to give you a brief update on my newest project. It’s official! I’m currently working on a book with Countryman Press called “The Oregon Farm Table Cookbook”. A collection of 100 fresh and seasonal recipes inspired by Oregon farmers, food artisans and chef’s.

The book will also include stories and photos of many Oregon farmers, wine-makers, brewers, food artisans and chefs. The book will be released in fall of 2020.

This past week I spent time in Southern Oregon visiting a few farms, creameries and an organic and a biodynamic winery for the book. What an amazing week with such lovely and passionate farmers and wine makers. They are all such generous individuals with a passion for what they do. And I’m excited to tell their stories.

I don’t post here as often as I’d like, but you can certainly keep up with all the fun and deliciousness on my Instagram and Facebook.

Delicious Wishes and Loads of Love,

Karista

Roasted Summer Vegetable & Farro Salad

June 10, 2019

by Karista

Cuisine Mediterranean

Category Karista’s Kitchen Life Around My Table Salad vegetarian

A lovely roasted vegetable and Farro salad that deliciously greets the summer season.

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Ingredients

For the Salad

• 2 cups cooked Farro (or other ancient grain)
• 1 large zucchini, or two medium
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 small red onion, quartered and thick sliced
• 1 eggplant
• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted and sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced green olives
• 1 small bunch basil leaves, chiffonade or torn
• 1/2 cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta

For the vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed between your fingers
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced or minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
2. Trim the eggplant and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Place the bite-sized pieces in a large bowl. Mix together 2 tablespoons salt and about 4 cups of water. Pour this over the eggplant and be sure to set something heavy on top of the eggplant, like a plate, to keep it submerged. Let it soak for about an hour or while you’re preparing the rest of the veggies.
3. Wash and then slice the zucchini lengthwise in half. Then slice each half lengthwise again. This will make four long pieces. Chop the zucchini making bite-sized pieces. Place them in a large bowl. Then add the pint of cherry tomatoes and the red onion. Season with a little salt and pepper and a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Place the veggies in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until the veggies are slightly golden and slightly soft. Remove them from the oven and set aside.
4. Now drain the eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Place them in a large bowl and toss the eggplant cubes with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and some black pepper. Layer them in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast in the pre-heated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until soft and slightly caramelized on the bottom.
5. Remove the eggplant from the oven and let them cool for about five minutes.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, Dijon mustard, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. In a large bowl, add the roasted zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, eggplant, roasted red pepper, green olives and half the chopped basil with the cooked Farro. Toss the salad with half the vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add more dressing if desired. Transfer the salad to a platter or bowl and garnish with the feta cheese and remaining basil. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Tags

roasted vegetable and farro salad,

roasted vegetable salad,

summer salads,

summer vegetable and farro salad

https://karistabennett.com/2019/06/10/roasted-summer-vegetable-farro-salad/