I stood at my kitchen sink yesterday, elbow deep in hot sudsy dish water, cleaning the dishes that couldn’t be stuffed into the dish washer, no matter the configuration of the other dishes already piled in there. I had just turned the dish washer on and it was rumbling along and I was above it clanking along, we were in harmony. Note: A single gal should not have as many dirty dishes as I end up with on a daily basis. I think someone is sneaking in when I leave and dirtying all of my forks and spoons and cups and wine glasses and plates….sigh. I wish they would clean up after themselves. Anyway…there was double duty dish activity happening and I was tapping my foot (and a bit of sporadic all out dancing) along to the playlist I had created the night before, which consisted mainly of Zac Brown Band and Ryan Bingham. All in all…I could not have been happier. I was in my element. Not so much the dishwater and dirty water, but the kitchen. Moments earlier, I had dirtied those dishes making muffins and then a salad. And they would need washing again later when I tried my hand at hummus and then a salad dressing and so on and so on …. My apron would not be hung up until late evening.
Pretty much the perfect day off.
The salad bit was not in my original game plan, as I had planned to post the recipe days ago. Imagine my horror Wednesday evening when, as I was eating the last morsels of farro from my dinner plate, the very last tidbit of the salad itself, as in no more leftovers remained hidden in my fridge…I realized that I had deleted the pictures of the salad that I had just finished devouring. Doh!
I had planned to make it again, just not twice in one week. But since I am an avid salad eater, repeating this dish wasn’t exactly a problem. To waste, it would not go. Plus, too much salad is probably better than too many cookies or too many muffins or too many brownies…OK, I lie. Too many brownies isn’t possible. Never. Ever. God, I love brownies.
We are gonna need some veggies. Duh, it is a salad after all! Round up some green beans, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions. Done.
A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper … all ya need for magic.
Well, not real magic. I can’t even do card tricks. I just roast vegetables. Kinda like magic. It feels like magic.
Oh! And onions.
We are gonna cook these down until they become sweet and down right, melt in your mouth good.
But seriously, they will melt in your mouth.
It takes time. Time we have.
Oh caramelized onions are glorious things.
We could stop right here and pile these puppies atop goat cheese slathered on a crusty thick cut baguette and call it a day.
But hey, we have a salad to finish.
Now comes the tossing. I am a terrible salad tosser.
More on the counter than in the dish.
I am messy.
Don’t tell, but after I ate the small bowl, I took my fork and continued right onto the skillet.
I have no manners.
| Roasted Vegetable and Caramelized Onion Farro Salad |
- 1 large bunch green beans (about 2 cups), ends trimmed
- 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes, a mixture of red and yellow
- 8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Medium Yellow Onions, medium slice
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 – 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Cup Farro, uncooked
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly spread out green beans and tomatoes on baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in preheated oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tomatoes begin to split open.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot water (about 4 cups worth) to a boil and then add farro. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside. (when this is ready, everything else should be close to finished)
- While the vegetables are roasting and farro is cooking, start the onion and mushroom caramelization. Place a cast iron skillet (or any heavy bottom skillet) over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add sliced onions and mushrooms and toss to coat. Let cook, untouched for 5 to 7 minutes. Toss. Let cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, untouched. At this point, add a pinch of salt and toss. Remove skillet from heat, add balsamic vinegar, and toss to coat. Return skillet to heat and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are browned and broken down (another 10 to 15 minutes).
- In a large serving bowl, toss together the roasted green beans, tomatoes, caramelized onions and mushrooms, and farro. Serve warm.
Fork Vs Spoon 
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