(Grain and Tomato Salad)
One summer my husband, Massimo, and I vacationed with our son, Max, near Lucca, about an hour from Florence. There we discovered a local specialty, farro, an ancient grain (emmer, often called spelt, in English) similar to barley, traditionally used in bean soup there. We bought lots of it, and Massimo then made a salad based on panzanella but substituting the boiled farro, for soaked and squeezed bread — a terrific idea that has become a warm-weather favorite.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a 3-quart saucepan combine spelt or barley, water, and salt to taste and simmer just until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain spelt in a colander and rinse with cold water. Chill spelt 30 minutes, or until cold.
Step 2
While spelt is cooking and chilling, in a bowl combine onion and vinegar and let stand at room temperature. Add chilled spelt and remaining ingredients and toss salad to combine well.
