Buttered Farro

Farro is an ancient, whole grain from Italy. Also known as Emmer wheat, it was used to sustain the Roman legions during their extended conquests. The grain is very high in fiber and contains significantly more protein than wheat. Farro is also high in B complex vitamins and contains both simple and complex carbohydrates.

This rustic grain has finally made it to the New World. I have bought it at both Costco and Amazon.com. It has a delicious, nutty taste and makes a very healthy substitute for rice or potatoes. It's very easy to prepare. If you like it chewy (my favorite), it only needs to cook for 30 minutes. If you like your grains mushy, cook it for 45-60 minutes. While it can be cooked in water, I find that using chicken broth gives the farro an added depth of flavor. This recipe serves four.

Ingredients
1 cup farro
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Directions

1. Bring broth to a boil in a large pot. Add farro.
2. When broth starts to boil again, turn down heat to a rolling simmer.
3. After 30 minutes, drain farro in a colander. Return drained farro to pot, add butter and stir to mix. Divide among serving plates.