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Fresh herbs, juicy tomatoes and crunchy Persian cucumbers come together in this Middle Eastern-inspired salad from Napa master gardener and food writer Janet Fletcher. This recipe, featured in her 2015 cookbook, “Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner” (Ten Speed Press, $20), uses pearled farro, but you can also use cooked bulgur. Either grain will soak up the dressing without becoming mushy, and make this salad lunch-worthy. Fletcher serves the garlicky yogurt on the bottom, but you can put it on the side or dollop it on top.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
½ cup semi-pearled farro
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Kosher or sea salt
Yogurt:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 large clove garlic, grated or finely minced
1 tablespoon za’atar (Middle Eastern spice blend)
Vegetables:
½ pound cucumbers, preferably Persian, Japanese or hothouse English variety
½ cup thinly sliced green onions, white and pale green parts only
½ cup loosely packed whole cilantro leaves (no stems)
2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 large handful small arugula, watercress or purslane leaves (no thick stems)
½ pound ripe, but firm tomatoes, cut in small dice
½ large ripe, but firm avocado, cut in small dice
Directions:
In a small saucepan set over high heat, bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the farro and reduce the heat to medium; skim any surface foam. Cover partially, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the farro is al dente — fully cooked but still firm to the tooth — about 30 minutes. Drain well in a sieve, then transfer to a large bowl.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, fish sauce, garlic and salt to taste.
Spoon about 1½ tablespoons dressing over the farro, enough to coat it lightly, and toss well with a fork. Taste and add more salt or a splash of vinegar if needed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic and salt to taste. Make a bed of yogurt sauce on a large platter, using it all. Sprinkle the za’atar over the yogurt.
If the cucumbers have a thick or waxed skin, peel them; if not, then leave unpeeled. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise. If they have large seeds, scrape out the seeds with a small spoon. If the seeds are small, no need to remove. Cut the cucumber into 1/3-inch dice and add to the farro along with the green onions, cilantro and mint. Add more dressing and toss gently to mix. Add the arugula, tomatoes and avocado. Drizzle with the remainder of the dressing and toss gently to avoid breaking up the tomatoes and avocado. Taste for salt and vinegar.
With your hands, mound the farro salad on the platter, leaving a visible border of yogurt. Serve immediately.
— From Janet Fletcher’s “Yogurt” (Ten Speed Press, $20)
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