Farro, Corn and Crab Salad

A couple of months ago, I’ve decided it’s time to experiment with Farro, an ancient type of wheat that I haven’t yet used. I bought a package and planned to use it, but, as it happens so very often, I forgot all about it. So when I saw THIS recipe for farro and corn salad, on the excellent “Frugal Hausfrau” blog, it immediately caught my eye.
I’m a big fan of corn, and in this season I always have a few fresh ears from the farm stand, so I had the key ingredients to prepare the salad. However, I had neither nice cherry tomatoes nor basil, so it was time for improvisation.
As the corn was already cooked, I didn’t char it on the grill but used it as is. I also ended up using different herbs and seasonings, and mini peppers instead of the cherry tomatoes. I then decided to turn the salad into a light lunch dish; so I added some nice crab lumps I had in the fridge to it.
As you can see from the recipe here, I ended up with quite a different salad, but a very delicious one nonetheless. Try it, or the original one (which I still plan on making!), or create your own version. Any way you choose, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the tasty combination of the nutty farro and corn.

Makes: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
¾ cup Farro
1½  cups water
1 large corn ear, cooked
1/3 cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped herbs (I used parsley and mint)
½ cup medium diced mini peppers
1 small shallot, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs lime juice (or lemon)
1 Tbs capers, drained
1 Tbs chopped pickled lemon
½ tsp Sriracha sauce
½ tsp freshly ground 4 peppers mix
8 oz (225 grams) lump crab meat
1 Tbs olive oil
For serving: (optional)
Washed and dried arugula leaves

1. Wash the farro well. Boil water, add the farro, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the farro is soft but still keeps its shape. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Using a serrated knife, scrape the corn kernels into a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients minus the crab meat. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add the crab meat, mix gently, so that the lumps will not break.

3. Serve at room temperature, as is, or on top of arugula leaves.

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See you next week with a new post. :)

Tasty Eats

Preparing traditional couscous from scratch is a labor intensive task; it requires mixing semolina with oil and water, passing it through a sieve, steaming it in a special pot, mixing it again, and repeating the process once or twice more… No wonder that up until modern times, when the instant couscous was created, this great grain product was not as popular as it is today.

The homemade couscous purists may snub the instant couscous, claiming it is not as tasty as the original. They may be right to some extent, just like those who are in favor of fresh homemade pasta versus dried pasta are. However, just as most of us will not start making fresh pasta for lunch, the same goes with instant couscous. It is extremely easy and quick to prepare, and when made properly, it is tasty and highly versatile. So don’t be deterred by the term…

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