RECIPE ELEVEN: Sunday June 4 - Broccoli rubble farro salad

BACK STORY:
Following Smitten Kitchen on Instagram I see a lot of delicious recipes to try. This is the first in a spate of those. I like farro and broccoli and though I'm cooking it at 9:30 on a Sunday night, I'm still optimistic about its deliciousness. 

NOTES:
This was surprisingly great. I filled the pot half full with water, cooked the broccoli, then put the farro in. I wasn't sure how much water to use but it was apparently perfect. I forgot to chop the broccoli so I cooked it with the garlic and red pepper flakes, then chopped at the end. The lemon zest and pecorino helped add flavor to the dish. I maybe was a little aggressive with the red pepper flakes but it was still good.

STARS: 
4 out of 5. Easy, hearty, and fast (once the farro was cooked).

RECIPE:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/05/broccoli-rubble-farro-salad/

• Salt
• 1 cup semi-pearled farro
• 1 pound broccolini or regular broccoli (previously: 2 pounds, see note)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Finely grated zest, then juice, of 1 lemon (juice before zesting only if you enjoy being grumpy)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces pecorino romano, grated or ground in a food processor

Bring a medium/large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, add broccoli and boil for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until slightly softened but still crisp overall. Scoop out with slotted spoon or tongs, then drain.

Add farro back to same pot (I’m totally okay with some errant leftover broccoli flecks and vitamins here, if you’re not, use another pot of salted water) and cook, simmering, for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender. (Since there are so many varieties of farro, however, if your package suggests otherwise, it’s best to defer to its cooking suggestion.) Drain and tip into a large mixing bowl; cool to lukewarm.

Pat drained broccoli dry on towels, trying to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Chop into small (roughly 1/2-inch) bits. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic and pepper flakes, to taste, and cook for 1 minute, until garlic is faintly golden. Add chopped broccoli, lemon zest, and salt (I use a full teaspoon kosher salt here, but adjust the amount to your taste) and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 more minutes, until broccoli is well-seasoned and slightly more tender.

Add broccoli and every bit of garlic and oil from the pan to the bowl of farro and stir to combine. Add lemon juice, black pepper and more salt to taste (but 1/2 teaspoon of each is what we used) and stir to combine. Stir in cheese.

Serve warm or at room temperature as-in, with an egg on top, burrata, and/or seasoned breadcrumbs.