Farro Salad with Green Garlic Pesto and Spring Delights!

Ingredients

 

  • 3 cups uncooked farro (Lonesome Whistle)
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • ½ pint fiddlehead ferns
  • Pea shoots or sprouts
  • ½ pint snap peas

For the pesto:

  • 4 meyer lemons
  • ¼ lb. nettles, picked from the stem
  • ½ pint Garlic and Herb Petite Suisse from La Mariposa
  • 1 bunch green garlic
  • ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

 

  1. Soak the farro overnight in water.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the farro. Cook until tender, about 30-50 minutes. Strain the farro and rinse it in cold water.
  3. With a vegetable peeler, peel ribbons of asparagus and place them in a bowl of ice water. Peel as much as possible.
  4. On a large griddle, grill, or cast iron pan on high heat, cook the asparagus and fiddlehead ferns with a touch of olive oil and salt until they are done to your likeness.
  5. Chop up the pea shoots/sprouts into bite-sized pieces.
  6. Char half of the green garlic until it is blistered and tender.
  7. Chop up the charred and fresh green garlic and place it in the blender with nettles, petite suisse, zest and juice from two lemons, and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Add water, if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
  8. Chop the cooked asparagus and fiddlehead ferns into bite-sized pieces.
  9. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and taste; adjust seasoning.

Recipe by Marigold Cooking Collective

“This recipe is very versatile, you can replace the asparagus with whatever seasonal vegetable you are most excited about – zucchini, snap peas, shelling peas, tomatoes, roasted peppers, really whatever you like! And the pesto can be made with whatever fresh herbs you enjoy and look best at the market – parsley, basil, mint, you could even use arugula or kale! Using the Petite Suisse cheese makes this pesto exceptionally creamy and rich. You can also use chevre or fromage blanc. If you feel like making a more traditional pesto with parmesan and nuts, it will also be delicious!”