Farro with Wild Mushrooms and Herbs

The culinary world is kinda crazy.

As with a lot of things in life, there are one-hit wonders and crazy trends, and once we find the latest and greatest everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Coconut water anyone?

One thing that makes me laugh is how restaurants, producers, chefs, retailers, etc. can take something that is by no means new and make it sound like this incredibly amazing discovery. Quinoa falls into this category. The Incans cultivated quinoa for thousands of years. It’s not new, it’s just new to us.

It is the same with farro. This ancient grain is a form of wheat, and it fed the Roman empire for centuries. A year ago most people didn’t know what it was. Now it’s everywhere. You find it in salads and soups. It’s served as a savory side dish. You name it and I am sure you can use farro in it, with it or on it.

Personally, I love farro. I especially like the nutty flavor with roasted meats. And now that the season is changing, I find myself choosing farro as an easy-to-make side for most roasted meats. It’s a great substitute for plain old rice. In my opinion, it’s best to keep it simple so that the hearty flavor comes through. Sure there are tasty farro salads with mango and other exotic combinations, but sometimes less is more. Below is the first recipe I used to make farro. I occasionally leave out the mushrooms, and it still tastes good. I’ve tried others since, but this is the recipe I always come back to.

So if you wanna try something new with dinner tonight, I would recommend a little farro. Jump on board this bandwagon…you’ll be glad you did.
Enjoy! Read more…

Winter Squash Casserole

Butternut squash I love squash.

Always have –– even as a kid. I am pretty much the only one who eats it in my house, though. Occasionally I can coax one of my kids to take a bite. But it’s rare, and usually because it came out of our garden. They are more receptive to eating what we grow ourselves. My husband, however, threatened to have lawyers on the phone if I ever grow another zucchini.

I happily eat all varieties, but my favorites are the winter squashes. Since zucchini was obviously not an option when I planted my garden this past spring, I was really excited about my Butternut and Dumpling squash plants. I was really looking forward to that caramel taste of roasted squash and the creamy texture of some squash soup.

Alas, my dreams were short lived. Moles attacked my planters and ate right through the bottom of them. I came out one morning to find dirt mounds next to where my squash plants should have been. Rotten little buggers!

There is new hope however. When I was in the garden over the weekend, I noticed that there were little squash plants starting to randomly pop up all over. One even had a tiny squash on it. The moles have apparently been spreading the seeds. (How nice of them.) The scene is reminiscent of one of my daughter’s favorite books “Too Many Pumpkins” by Linda White. (It’s a great kids book for October and Halloween!)

The good news is that I might actually get to make some of my favorite squash recipes using squash that came from my own garden (or rather, the moles’ garden). One of my all time top dishes is listed below. I do prefer to use the pecans instead of the pumpkin seeds. To me they make it taste more like fall. Enjoy!

Chicken Stew with White Beans and Sausage

Chicken Stew with White Beans and Sausage I’ve never been the bean person I have wanted to be. A big pot of savory beans just always sounds good. Whether it’s at the farmer’s market or in the store, every time I see those clear bags with all sorts of pretty dried beans, I think to myself, “I’ve GOT to have those!” But then I get them home and they sit in my pantry. The good news is they don’t go bad…they just get dusty.

Now that the weather is turning, I have been trying to force myself to do more with beans. Schedule constraints have required that I occasionally use canned beans, but I have also tried to go old school and soak ’em. I have found the best way to cook up something tasty using dried beans is in the crockpot. Throw ’em in, turn it on, and walk away. Come back a few hours later and you have a fabulous One Pot Meal all ready to go for dinner. My kind of awesome.

The recipe below is a good one to try when you want something warm and satisfying after a long day. It takes a little bit more prep work with the browning but it’s worth it. In the meantime, I am still on the hunt for more “cooking with beans” type recipes to try. So look for the “greatest hits” in the coming weeks…

Chicken Stew with White Beans and Sausage
Recipe adapted from of Slow Cooker Revolution
From America’s Test Kitchen
Serves 6 to 8

This Chicken Stew with White Beans and Sausage is inspired by a classic Tuscan white bean stew—we added sausage. Browing the chicken, sausage, and aromatics makes for a richer, deeper flavor. The abundance of spinach wilts down substantially. Read more…

Honeycrisp Apples (and Strudel)

Apple Strudel One reason to love Autumn is apples, and a favorite variety is now in the store…for a while at least. Honeycrisp Apples have an exceptionally crisp and juicy texture, and are delightfully sweet. They are a great eating apple, fantastic for lunch boxes, and work wonderfullyin pies, cobblers and apple sauce. We love them!

The Honeycrisp was produced form a 1960 cross of Macon and Honeygold apples at the University of Minnesota, and has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples.

Try some in another exclusive Piedmont Grocery recipe:

Gam’s Apple Strudel