Julien's Journal November 2015 (Volume 40, Number 11) | Page 52
Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Leftovers (if you have any) can be
rewrapped tightly and refrigerated for up
to three days.
Farro and Butternut
Squash Salad
This recipe is adapted from Southern Living.
Comfort foods are what most of us are
craving this time of year. There is just
something about how hearty, warm, and
earthy foods comfort the soul like a flannel
blanket. Too often, modern day comfort
foods are highly processed, highly caloric
and of no nutritional value. Here are two
perfect comfort foods you need to feel no
guilt about.
Farro is an ancient grain dating back to the
Romans. It is a member of the wheat family,
a rice shaped grain that posses a beautiful
nutty flavor with a whisper of spice. The
grain maintains a hearty chewiness, making this little known grain a perfect late fall
treat. It can be cooked and served alone,
in salads, or in soups. This recipe is an easy
mobile office lunch, a warm meal for one,
or the perfect side dish to roasted pork or
grilled chicken. Four ingredients make this
dish a kitchen favorite.
4 cups farro cooked according to directions (we
recommend Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods Farro)
50 ❖ Julien’s Journal ❖ November 2015
2 cups roasted butternut squash, cut into 1
inch cubes (recipe to follow)
1 medium sized butternut squash, halved and
seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes.
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, rough chop
2 tbs. good quality olive oil
Lemon thyme vinaigrette (recipe featured in
October issue and available on our website)
Salt and pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss butternut squash in oil and season
with salt and pepper. Place on rimmed baking sheet (line baking sheet with parchment
paper for easy clean up). Roast until golden
brown, approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Use two
cups for this recipe and store the rest in a
sealed container in the refrigerator for up
to three days.
Cook farro according to package directions. Once farro is cooked, drain excess
water and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with
lemon thyme vinaigrette to coat, about
1/3 of a cup. Mix and allow the dressing to
absorb into the farro as it cools. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, add butternut squash
and parsley and toss with two tablespoons
of dressing until coated, then fold into the
farro. Taste and adjust seasoning and dressing if necessary.
This salad can be eaten at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Roasted squash is a staple of cold weather
foods. I roast about a squash a week and
keep it on hand for salads like this, soup,
or pasta.
Roasting diced butternut squash is easy,
and there is really no need to peel the
squash, which is a daunting and arduous task. The skin, when roasted, adds a
crisp deep nutty flavor and simplifies the
process.
Roasting a butternut squash, all you need
is:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Fewer things in life are more comforting
than a bowl of chicken soup. This recipe is
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen and it
is the best chicken soup recipe I have ever
made. Every mouthful warms the soul.
The recipe is easy to follow and is ready
with in an hour and a half. Cooked in a large
Dutch oven, here are the things you need
for the stock:
4 lbs. of chicken thighs, seasoned with salt
and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tbs. olive oil
2 quarts of fresh water