Farro Salad with Smoked Trout

I have a habit of stealing my mom's cooking magazines when I go home to visit. I have given in an gotten my own subscriptions now, except for Food and Wine. Flipping through, I came across several recipes that caught my eye. This was one of them! It is even better after it sits for awhile or even the next day.

This would make a wonderful recipe in the summer too, with fresh beets, greens and trout from the market! I made some small changes for things I didn't have. I only had fresh rosemary, if you don't I would suggest using 1/4 teaspoon dried. I increased the number of beets, because I love them! This would also be good with some goat cheese mixed in, but I did not have any on hand. Don't be daunted by how long the ingredient list looks, it is very easy to make. The active cooking time was about 20 to 30 minutes. If you make it ahead for guests, don't add the greens or trout until or they may become too moist.

Adapted from Food and Wine
Ingredients:
3-5 small beets, rinsed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 thyme springs or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 rosemary spring or 1/4 teaspoon dried
Kosher salt
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro (8 ounces)
1/2 small red onion or 1 large shallot
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
8 ounces skinless smoked trout fillet, flaked
1/2 pound beet greens, swiss chard, arugula or spinach (1 cup)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Placing the beets on a long sheet of tinfoil, drizzle the beets with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap them up to make a packet. Put the tinfoil packet on the oven rack, cooking for an hour to an hour and half or until fork tender.
2. While the beets cook, in a medium saucepan, combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (if using table salt, use less), and bring it to a boil. Add the farro and reduce to a simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the garlic and herb stems. Let cool to room temperature. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the onion, lemon juice and honey. Gradually whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. In serving bowl, combine the farro, beets, trout and greens, tossing to combine. Season with salt and pepper. If you let it sit for awhile, the flavors start to develop more. Enjoy!