Midtown Detroit has a heavy grip on us. We drive into the city to enjoy football games in the fall, to escape to the conservatory on Belle Isle in the deep winter, and to bike Dequindre Cut in summer. On each drive into the city the last few years, we have gone directly to the Jolly Pumpkin Detroit for a Brussel Sprout Pizza and this Farro Salad. The crunch of the carrots combined with the sour feta is comfort to me—so here’s my version of that dish!
This recipe is vegetarian.
Farro Salad with Fresh Mint and Carrot
(serves 10 as a side dish)
1 ½ cups peeled carrots (3 large), or 12 stalks raw asparagus with top and bottom 2 inches trimmed
3 cups kale, stalks cut off (any variety is fine)
½ cup red onion (this is about 1 medium onion)
¼ cup fresh mint, stems removed
2 cups peeled yellow beet (red beets work well, but the entire salad will be pink, which is fine!)
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 cup sheep’s milk feta (or any solid block feta cheese), crumbled
Make the salad:
Prepare your food processor with the julienne blade or slice the following in even, thin slices with a knife: carrots, kale, red onion, fresh mint, peeled beets. After slicing, pile ingredients into a large bowl.
Boil a large pot of water and add 2 cups of farro wheat. Boil the farro for 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until al dente. Strain and rinse under cool water.
Combine farro the cut vegetables and stir.
Top with 1 cup sheep’s milk feta, or any solid block feta cheese, crumbled.
Make the dressing:
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
There is no need to combine all of these! Simply pour the individual ingredients over the salad and give it a good stir.
Allow the salad to sit in the refrigerator overnight for the best taste, or serve immediately if you just can’t wait!
Find more great food recipes in my second book, Lark Parties! #livinglark
