Farro With Rosemary, Leeks and Carrots

I've been on a kick to "liven-up" our family dinners by adding more variety to our table. I decided to make this farroside dish to see what all the fuss is about farro. Lately, I've been seeing this ancient grain every where in restaurants and in recipes. I love the soft, yet slightly chewy texture and the way it feels hearty and satisfying. It's similar to barley. The flavor is subtle, so it makes a great canvas for adding other flavors. For a quick, easy weekday meal, I decided to make farro similar to the way I make rice. I sautéed vegetables and herbs, and then cooked them with farro and water. It's as simple as that. And the best part: my husband talked about the dish for days and declared it a "restaurant-worthy" recipe.
Most farro is grown in Italy. Farro comes in whole grain, semi-pearled/perlato, and pearled varieties. The semi-pearled and pearled have some of the outer bran removed, and thus, cook more quickly and do not need to be soaked overnight. Whole grain farro is harder to find. I personally feel satisfied with the nutrition of the pearled variety, so I was OK when I went to my local Whole Foods and could only find the pearled version. If you can't find farro locally, there are many options on amazon.com. However, I don't recommend the 10 minute quick cook version from Trader Joe's-- the texture is not the same.

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