I tried another great recipe from the “Tasting Along the Wine Road” series, a celebration of the Northern Sonoma Wine Country. This Volume 15 has recipes for brunch, appetizers, soups, pasta, rice, desserts and sweets, and too many entrées to count. Each recipe offers a wine selection along with a choice of Bed & Breakfast lodgings in the area. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a Dutch Baby with Apples and Honey, or Waffles with a Brown Sugar Sauce; or later have a glass of wine with an appetizer of Curried Chicken Tartlets or Pulled Pork in a Corn Muffin Cup. After appetizers try a Wine Country Smoked Bacon and Lentil Soup, or the Ultimate Lobster Bisque, or Pearl Barley and Beef Stew. Have a dessert to end the evening with a Peach Twilight Cobbler, Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse, or a Tosca Almond Tart.
My daughter Kristina and I love to make big healthy salads of our favorite ingredients that we can share for a couple days of lunches. We found a farro salad that is filled with cubes of butternut squash, dried cranberries, pine nuts, red onion, garlic, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and arugula, tossed with olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. It’s so delicious and beautiful. We couldn’t get enough. It’s also perfect to share at a pot luck, party, barbecue, or picnic because it’s served at room temperature.
- 1 medium Butternut squash*
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups pearled farro
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large tomato, finely diced
- 1 cup arugula, stems removed
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Rub butter on the cut side of the halves, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 45 minutes or until tender. Peel and cut the squash into ½-inch cubes and set aside. *(OR you can cheat like I did by buying a container of pre-cut butternut squash! The one I found at Trader Joe's is perfect)
- Cook the farro in boiling salted water as directed on the package. Simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain in a colander, then spread the grains on a sheet pan and allow to cool slightly and dry.
- While the farro cooks and cools, soak the dried cranberries in hot water until they have softened, about 30 minutes, and drain. Over medium heat, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet.
- In a large bowl, combine the squash cubes, farro, cranberries, pine nuts, onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato, and arugula. In a small bowl combine the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper; add to salad and taste for seasonings and adjust if needed. Serve at room temperature. Serves 12.
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