Farro with Mushrooms, Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar

This is the way the farro looked before it was cooked. You can almost tell by looking that some of the bran has been removed, so this is definitely "semi-perlato."

I followed Lorna Sass' instruction for cooking the farro in water, and here's how it looked once it was cooked.

Browning the mushrooms well is essential to the flavor of this dish. I cooked them about 5 minutes over fairly high heat.

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe adapted from Whole Grains, Every Day Every Way.)

• 3 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic. each cut in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup diced red onions (or use shallots which were in the original recipe)
• 24 oz. sliced baby bella (Crimini) mushrooms, stems cut in half lengthwise and caps sliced in 1/2 inch slices
• pinch salt (I used Vege-Sal)
• 1/4 cup Luna olivo balsamic vinegar 
• 1 T chopped fresh thyme (or use 2 tsp.frozen thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
• 3 cups cooked farro (see below for how to cook the farro. Cooked barley or brown rice can also be substituted.)

To make 3 cups cooked Farro:

• 1 cup farro
• 1 3/4 cups water
• pinch salt

Have the water heating in a teakettle or pan so it will be boiling when you're ready to add it to the farro. Use a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the farro to dry pan and toast over medium-high heat until it starts to look and smell toasted, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat, and then carefully pour in the boiling water (it will boil up and sputter, so be careful.) Add the salt, then turn heat back on to a low simmer, cover pan, and let cook until the farro is tender, but chewy, about 20 minutes. (I would start checking after about 15 minutes. You may need to add a tiny bit more water.)


Use a large heavy frying pan for the second part of the recipe. (I'm not a fan of non-stick pans for some things, but it worked well here.) Heat the oil, then add the onion and garlic and saute until onions are starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove garlic and discard.


Add sliced mushrooms and stems, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and saute over medium high heat until mushrooms have released their liquid and are well browned, about 5 minutes (or longer, depending on your pan.)


Stir in the balsamic vinegar. (If using dried thyme, add it with the balsamic vinegar.) Add cooked farro and heat 2-3 minutes, stirring gently. If your pan is not non-stick, you may need to add a bit of water when you heat the farro. When farro is heated through and moistened, add the fresh (or thawed) thyme, stir, season with salt if desired and serve hot.