Farro: How to cook?

[Cat Price]

Farro, that grain that fed most of the ancient occidental world, is my new love.
However, I'm not sure I'm cooking it right. Some recipes suggested soaking 25 min or even up to 8 hours...others say no soaking is necessary at all.

Please help. Any insights?

[Max]

Hmm. I've never soaked it, I just boil it for a while in salted water, i think 30-60 minutes. Honestly, I've never kept track of how long it takes, I just taste as I go along. I do like them with a bit of bite left, so some people might like them cooked longer.

I agree though, I absolutely love farro. It's very nice drained, cooled, and turned into a room temp salad with diced veggies and herbs and it's great in soups.

[Cat Price]

max. thank you so so much! do you have a favorite recipe?

[Max]

I find farro versatile enough that I never use recipes, it's more of a fridge potluck. For example, last week I cooked, drained and shocked the farro, then shook it dry and mixed in various veggies from my CSA and garden -- raw corn, sliced scallions, and blanched shelling beans -- and some small cubes of a salty sheep's milk cheese. I dressed it with salt, pepper, olive oil and some really good cider vinegar, and it was a terrific main course with some greens on the side.

Otherwise, for soups it's very easy, just drop it in 30-40 min before the soup is done. One thing worth trying is farroto--basically, take a risotto recipe, sub farro for the rice, and treat it the same, otherwise. Less delicate and more robust flavor.