Here are the ingredients for MT’s first batch of Farro with Wild Mushroom Dressing, which include raw spinach leaves, mushrooms, a plateful of the uncooked grain farro and a leek, an onion and some garlic.
                                 Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

Here are the ingredients for MT’s first batch of Farro with Wild Mushroom Dressing, which include raw spinach leaves, mushrooms, a plateful of the uncooked grain farro and a leek, an onion and some garlic.

Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

Times Leader test testers enjoy savory dish

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<p>Mary Therese Biebel</p>
                                <p>Times Leader Test Kitchen</p>

Mary Therese Biebel

Times Leader Test Kitchen

<p>Farro with Wild Mushroom Dressing is a savory, plant-based dish, and not at all difficult to prepare.</p>
                                 <p>Mark Guydish| Times Leader </p>

Farro with Wild Mushroom Dressing is a savory, plant-based dish, and not at all difficult to prepare.

Mark Guydish| Times Leader

If you’d asked me about farro a year or two ago, I’d have shaken my head and admitted being totally unfamiliar with this “ancient grain.”

If you asked me about farro on Wednesday, I would have grinned and told you it’s popular with the Times Leader taste testers.

“This is absolutely delicious,” reporter Ed Lewis said after tasting a dish of farro tossed with raw spinach and sauteed mushrooms. “I could eat this every day of the week.”

Ed was already familiar with farro; his wife cooks it at home and sometimes serves it in place of rice.

For other taste testers, this was their first experience with farro — a whole grain popular in Italy and gaining popularity in the United States. It originated in Mesopotamia, offers a healthy dose of fiber plus antioxidants and plant-based protein, and has been cultivated the same way for thousands of years.

“I’ve never had it before,” said columnist Bill O’Boyle. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s very good.”

“The flavor is delicious,” said reporter Jen Learn-Andes, who thought the dish would be equally good with another veggie, like squash, instead of the spinach.

“The texture reminds me of (steel-cut) oatmeal,” editor Roger DuPuis said. “The flavor and the way you prepared it is very savory. I really liked it.”

“If you like risotto, this is a nice alternative,” said Times Leader publisher Kerry Miscavage.

“I was thinking the same thing,” said advertising manager Diane McGee. “And there’s a freshness about it. It’s really wonderful.

As for reporter Kevin Carroll, he tried the dish despite knowing he’d never liked mushrooms. “I thought that was a childhood thing, and maybe I’d outgrown it,” he said.

Realizing he still doesn’t like mushrooms, Kevin said he enjoyed every other part of the dish, including “the little things,” which were the grains of farro, and even the spinach, which surprised him.

Wednesday’s batch was my second attempt at the recipe. Several days earlier, I made some for a meal at home and loved it, as did Mark and my mom.

The recipe came from the May 2021 issue of Prevention magazine,which featured several plant-based dishes. I followed it closely, except I skipped the part about toasting and adding quinoa. Also, the mushrooms I used weren’t “wild” but the easier to find baby portobello and button varieties. And, speaking of finding things, I found the farro near the rice in the grain aisle at Wegmans.

Without further ado, there is the recipe:

Farro with Wild Mushroom Dressing

2 tablespoons red quinoa

1/4 teaspoon plus 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch, half moons

kosher salt and pepper

2 1/2 cups farro

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons low-sodium vegetable bouillon base

2 springs rosemary

1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bunch spinach, thick stems discarded (about 4 cups)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. On small baking sheet, toss quinoa with 1/4 teaspoon oil and bake until toasted and nutty smelling, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven on medium. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add leek, season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Transfer half o onion mixture to small bowl. Add farro to Dutch oven and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add bouillon, 5 cups water and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until liquid has been absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes. Discard rosemary and fluff with fork.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add half of mushrooms, season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add half of garlic and cook, tossing, 1 minute; transfer to large bowl. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil, mushrooms and garlic. Add farro, spinach and reserved onions to bowl and toss to combine. Serve topped with quinoa.

Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT