Farro Salad with Chickpeas, Cherries, and Pecans

Name: Farro Salad with Chickpeas, Cherries, and Pecans
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons raw unsalted pecans; 1 cup cooked farro (see below) (or substitute cooked white or brown rice or barley), cooled; 1/3 cup cooked chickpeas, preferably homemade (page 47), rinsed and drained; 1/2 cup lightly packed baby arugula leaves, coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes and their juice; 2 tablespoons unsweetened dried cherries; 1 shallot lobe, finely chopped; 6 large mint leaves, chopped; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; Kosher or sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper

December 14, 2011

My introduction to the joys of room-temperature farro salad came years ago in Boston, when I wrote an article about two chef-couples’ different approaches to an outdoor dinner party. Gabriel Frasca and Amanda Lydon, who have since taken over the storied Straight Wharf restaurant on Nantucket to much acclaim, cooked the farro in the oven, then combined it with, among other things, fresh cherries, blanched and sautéed broccoli rabe, and pecans. Besides scaling it down to single-serving size, I stripped down their method considerably, standing in fresh arugula for the broccoli rabe so I don’t have to cook it, adding protein in the form of chickpeas, and using dried cherries instead of fresh because I can get them year-round.

Recipe notes

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