Today is one of those hot, sticky, humid days when I find it impossible to eat the kind of big, old style protein-starch-veggie dinner that was standard in my growing up years. So I’ll make a salad, which is to say, I’ll look in the fridge, chop up what I find, maybe add some lettuce and tomato and pour a fresh, homemade vinaigrette dressing over it.

Voila! Dinner!

Okay, I might cook a whole grain, like farro, which I absolutely love to eat and make into a salad. 

The good thing about salad is the interchangeable parts. You don’t have the same leftovers, deli items or frozen foods that I do, so experiment a little. Add cut up veggies, cheese, meat, fish, whatever. The recipe is entirely flexible.

Farro Salad with Vegetables, Scallions and Whatever

1-1/2 cups farro

1 cup cooked cut up broccoli, green beans, snap peas, frozen peas or lima beans, etc.

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

3-4 scallions, chopped

1 cup diced cooked chicken, salmon or shrimp

1/2 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese, optional

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the farro in a saucepan and add enough water to cover the grain by one inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the farro is tender but still slightly chewy. Drain if any liquid remains, and place the farro in a bowl. Let cool slightly. Add the broccoli, tomatoes, scallions, chicken or fish, cheese, if used, and parsley. Toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, wine vinegar, mustard and thyme and pour over the salad ingredients. Toss, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Let rest for about 15 minutes before servings. Makes 4 servings