Recipe of the Month

Soon after Arlo was born, our good friends, Amy and Byron, had us over for a dinner prepared by local celebrity chef, Tamara Murphy. The dishes were amazing, and one of the dishes I thought I could make at home was a risotto with farro and lentils.

Farro is a hearty, nutty flavored grain that cooks in about 20 minutes, and it is one of my favorite new discoveries. I found it in the bulk foods section of my grocery store (incidentally, the same aisle with arborio rice and lentils for my risotto).

If you've never made risotto before, it's easy but a little time consuming. I saute 1 onion and a tablespoon of olive oil in my favorite Le Creuset French Oven pot. Let me just say that these pots are pricey, but completely worth it if you like to cook. I use it for soups, one pot dishes like risotto, and even bread.



After the onion becomes slightly soft, I add 1 cup of arborio rice and saute it for a few minutes in the oil and onion before adding vegetarian chicken broth a little at a time. When I've added a cup of broth, I add the rinsed farro and lentils all at once. Then, I keep adding broth when it cooks down.

With risotto, it's important to keep stir almost constantly after you add a little broth. I add about 4 or 5 cups of broth, depending on how thick or thin you want the risotto. The finished product should be creamy and a little on the wet side. I serve it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage vegetarian sausage, kale sauteed with olive oil and garlic, and risotto with farro and lentils. Yum!