Some grains are better than others. Lately we’ve cooked with millet, quinoa and …. this little farro number. “Why, oh why are we just now experiencing this?!” we lamented after putting the first marvelous bites in our mouths. This dish is phenomenal. It truly, truly is. It is so rich and far better than mashed potatoes. The ingredients list isn’t incredibly long, but man, what a list: applewood-smoked bacon, onion, thyme, farro, stock, butternut squash and parmesan. That’s a whole lotta beautiful, hearty flavor. The textures are also worthy of note: the pearled farro plus the soft squash and crisp bacon make for really nice contrast. This dish is worthy to grace any table, ranging from simple to the fanciest of fancy, but the bottom line is that if you are the one credited for having brought this pot-o’-gold to your Thanksgiving feast, your name will be hailed for generations to come. We know ours will be this year.
Tips (unsponsored): We found our pearled barley at Sprouts – not in the bulk section, but in the grain isle. Be sure you are using pearled farro, as the cook time is much less than regular farro. Plan ahead on this dish so you can order it online if you can’t seem to find it locally. We promise – this dish is worth it. Also, this dish calls for “good chicken stock, preferably homemade.” As always, we recommend using Kitchen Basics stocks, as they are much more dense in flavor than your average broths.
Have your kids help you pluck the thyme leaves from their sprigs (if they are tough). Let them run clean fingers through the uncooked farro – kids love the texture of grains. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Farro provides your body with a mineral called manganese, which can help you from feeling too tense.
- Butternut squash has lots of vitamin C, which helps your skin look great.
- The vitamins in onions can help lower your risk of cancer.
The farro in this dish whispers of Italy, but this recipe comes from a Californian chef, so let’s learn a few things about California:
- Within California you will find the most diversity of any other landscape.
- Even though lots of forest has been cut down to make room for houses and farms, California has reforested a lot to replace it, so it’s pretty close to being what it once was.
- More crops and other goods come out of California than any other state.
Adapted from: Baked Farro with Butternut Squash
- 6 thick-cut slices applewood-smoked bacon
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ cups pearled farro
- 3 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 4 cups (3/4-to-1-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the bacon on a baking rack set on a foil-covered sheet pan (the foil will collect the fat, which you will use later), and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crisp. Reserve 1 T. bacon fat. Cut the bacon in very large dice.
- Meanwhile, in a small (9-inch) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add the thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the farro and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Place the squash on top of the farro mixture, cover, and bake in the same oven with up to 1 T. of the bacon fat for 30 minutes, until the squash and farro are tender. Check once during cooking and add a little chicken stock if it's dry.
- Sprinkle the parmesan on the squash and farro and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, the farro and butternut squash are tender, and the cheese has melted. Top with the bacon pieces and serve hot directly from the pot.
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