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Farro Salad with Strawberries, Bacon, and Pepitas

Next time maybe I'll put the seeds under the bacon so they meld more with the farro?


I came to this recipe in a circular pattern of events, and it is one of my new favorites. It started with lunch at the fantastic Camas Country Mill, which is a magical place with magical bread and, on that visit, this magical salad. I loved it so much and I thought about trying to make it at home, but I wasn't sure where to start with the dressing and also I've never cooked farro, so I was willing to leave it as a magical memory and hope to see it again on a future return.

Except the pepitas. Miles ate many of them off of my salad and he loved them so much that he asked me to buy some. So I bought a big tub of pepitas the next day. And in true toddler fashion, by the next day he didn't like them anymore. 

This led to a Pinterest search for recipes involving pepitas. And what did I find before my very eyes? This salad from food52. Now, maybe they stole it from Camas Country Mill, but I suspect it was the other way around. So some of the magic is gone, but on the plus side, I can now make it at home.

I set my expectations low, because I figured I could never craft anything as delicious as the salad I'd eaten at the mill, but it was just as good! Maybe even a little bit better because I put lots and lots of fresh strawberries in. This is the perfect recipe to show off good produce after a trip to the farmer's market.

My changes from the Food52 recipe are as follows: I used a baby greens salad mix instead of kale because I'd just gotten an amazing mix from Groundwork Organics. I loved it, and I think I'd do this again or use arugula, or maybe baby spinach, before I'd turn to kale. I didn't make the pepitas spicy, because I wanted to simplify. Yes, some added spice would be delicious, but it wasn't necessary. And I used some purple garlic from my garden instead of shallot because there were no shallots at the farmer's market when I was shopping, but the dressing turned out so well that I think I'll keep this change when I have good garlic on hand.


The Recipe:
1c dry farro, cooked according to instructions on package
arugula, baby spinach, or other salad greens
strawberries
roasted, salted pepitas (or follow food52's instructions to coat them in chili powder)
1 package bacon, cooked
1 small shallot or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tb olive oil
sea salt to taste
  • Whisk or blend lemon juice, olive oil, garlic/shallot, and sea salt until oil emulsifies. Mix in lemon zest.
  • Toss farro with half of the dressing as soon as it is cooked. Toss greens with the other half.
  • Layer dressed greens, dressed farro, pepitas, bacon, and strawberries.
  • NOTE TO FUTURE SELF: Try basil and/or black sesame seeds on top.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A++
Overall reason: Seriously, it's amazing. And healthy-ish. And not hard to make.
Time to prepare: If the bacon is cooked ahead of time, 30 minutes. Or about 8 minutes with a package of pre-cooked farro.
Husband quote: He got roped into a last-minute business dinner. His loss. Will update when he gets to taste it.




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