Farro Pilaf with Kale and Cranberries

This recipe comes to me through a friend (thanks, Anna!) who learned it in a cooking class she took. I apologize I can't provide better attribution. This is a fantastic vegetarian one-dish meal for a bundle-up winter's evening, or a great side dish with a roasted meat. Farro has a lot of protein for a grain, so the ingredients in this dish make for an incredibly healthy and well-balanced meal.

 

Farro, Kale and Cranberry Pilaf

serves 8

 

2 cups farro

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 large yellow onion

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 bunch kale

1 small garlic clove, crushed to a paste
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, or to taste

Instructions:

Place farro and 2 teaspoons salt in a large stock pot or Dutch oven with 10 cups of water.  Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until farro is tender, about 45 - 50 minutes.  You might need to add a little extra water towards the end of the cook time to keep the farro from drying out.  Set aside.

While the farro is cooking, prepare the onion: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed saute pan over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking.  Then saute onion with pepper and remaing 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring, 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and golden (stir more frequently toward the end of the cooking), about 20 - 30 minutes.  Remove lid and increase heat to moderate, then cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.

While onion cooks, discard stems and center ribs from kale. (Note - chef showed us a cool trick to easily, quickly de-stem kale: Make an "O" with your thumb and forefinger with one hand, and run the kale through the "o" with the other hand. Tighten your fingers around the kale, so you pull the stem out on one side, and the kale greenery stays on the other.)  Chop kale and add to the pot of farro for the last 5-6 minutes of cooking. Stir in the cranberries, then transfer drained farro/kale/cranberries into the carmelized onion mixture and stir in the garlic. Saute the mixture about 3 minutes, then add vinegar. Serve garnished with pecans (or pine nuts).