Farro

It is always good to diversify the foods your family eats. Greens, proteins and grains. So break away from your oatmeal routine and give another grain a try: farro! Farro, also known as “emmer” wheat, is a grain with a mild nutty flavor and rustic texture. Farro is low in gluten, higher in protein than most grains and nutrient dense. Farro is not only delicious in hot cereal – but it can be used in savory dishes as well. And you may even come across farro pasta at the store. Here are a few more reasons to diversify your oatmeal mornings and give farro a try!..

Oatmeal lovers, dig in. If you and your family loves a cozy oatmeal-for-breakfast kind of morning, than you have to give farro a try!

Farro Uses. Try these..
Soups.
Grain pilafs.
Hot cereal.
Farro pasta.
Farro risotto.
Farro polenta.
Farro grits.

How to Buy. You can buy either whole farro or cracked farro. Cracked farro is perfect for quick hot cereal – since it cooks faster than whole grain. You can find farro in most specialty stores and you can always buy it online. Farro can also be found as the main ingredient in farro pastas.

What it tastes like. Farro has a mild nutty flavor. It is silkier than oatmeal and has more of a hearty texture. It holds its grain well and doesn’t get ‘slippery’ the way rolled oats can when cooked. Farro stands up to liquid quite well. So if you like to pour a lot of liquid over top your hot cereal – you will be OK. Farro doesn’t really get mushy – it just plumps up more in a hydrated fashion.

If you are just starting out with farro, try my Farro Porridge with walnuts and berries recipe, over on Healthy. Happy. Life.

Farro Porridge with Farm Berries and Walnuts
vegan, serves 3-4

basic porridge:
1 cup cracked farro
3 cups water
a few pinches salt

Add-in:
2+ Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup soy creamer (for pouring over top as desired)
1 cup sliced farmer's market organic berries
1/2 cup crushed raw walnuts
other: additional berried, dried fruits, spices like cinnamon, vanilla..

To Make:

1. Add farro to dry soup pot - over high heat. Allow grains to toast in dry pan for about a minute. Tossing around a bit.
2. Add in water and salt.
3. bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. If you simmer covered with a lid be sure to monitor closely - as farro can bubble quite rapidly - spilling over the pot. NOTE: this method is for cracked farro. Whole grain farro will take longer to cook.
4. When farro has reached a cooked consistency, add ingredients like maple syrup and spices. 
5. Serve in a bowl with soy milk or creamer poured over top - I like a nice amount to loosen the cooked farro.
6. Add berries and walnuts - and anything else. Serve!

Serving Tips. Farro is best served warm. You don’t want it to hot because warm farro holds its moist, tender texture very well. You also don’t want to serve it too dry since it naturally absorbs liquid quite well. Somewhere between a risotto and steel cut oatmeal consistency is how I like it. And add more liquid as you eat if you’d like! I even enjoy pouring spoonfuls of my coffee latte into my farro porridge. Weird? Maybe, but it adds a nice savory flavor. I enjoy non-dairy milks in my farro. Almond milk is wonderful. Pairs with the rustic quality of farro nicely.

Farro Porridge. The basic recipe for cracked farro porridge is 1 cup farro to 3 cups water – plus a pinch of salt.