Farro Risotto With Sweet Corn And Tomatoes Recipes

LATE SUMMER RECIPE: FARRO RISOTTO WITH CORN AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Soak the farro in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Stir in olive oil and farro. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, add the chicken stock and warm over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
• In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions until cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the farro and stir until every grain is coated with butter, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and simmer until the liquid evaporates.
• Add 1/2 cup stock and stir frequently until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, not adding more until the previous amount is absorbed. (It will take longer with each addition.) Stir in the corn with the final addition of stock.
• Once all of the liquid has been absorbed and the farro is tender, about 20-25 minutes, fold in the remaining tablespoon butter (optional) and Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish individual bowls with tomatoes and fresh basil. Serve with extra Parmesan, if desired.

FARRO RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the farro and 4 cups of water. Soak for 30 minutes and drain well.
• Heat the broth in a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the drained farro and cook, stirring constantly until toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir constantly until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth and stir constantly until completely absorbed. Continue adding the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the farro is creamy and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the currants, pine nuts, feta cheese, and the remaining salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
• Cook's Note: To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

RISOTTO WITH TOMATOES AND CORN

Steps:

• Remove corn kernels from cobs and set aside the kernels. Simmer the cobs in stock for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from stock and discard. Make sure your stock is well seasoned. Bring back to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rice and cook, stirring, until grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle, a minute or two. Stir in tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste and cook, stirring, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add wine and stir until it has evaporated and has been absorbed by the rice. Begin adding simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. Stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir continually, but stir often and vigorously. After 10 minutes, add corn and continue for another 10 to 15 minutes. When rice is just tender all the way through but still chewy (al dente), in 20 to 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning.
• Add another ladleful of stock to rice. Stir in basil (or basil, parsley and chives) and Parmesan and remove from heat. The mix should be creamy (add more stock if it sn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

FARRO WITH BLISTERED TOMATOES, PESTO AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large covered pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the farro and adjust the heat to maintain a medium boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until tender and not too chewy, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, on a sheet pan, combine the tomatoes and onion wedges with the oil, making sure everything is well coated and glistening, then season with salt, pepper and the red-pepper flakes. Roast until the tomatoes blister and slightly deflate, 25 to 30 minutes.
• When the farro is done, drain, then pour into a serving bowl or back into the pot. Toss with some olive oil, then mix in the pesto. Add the lemon zest and juice, then stir in the spinach. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Scrape the onions, tomatoes and their juices into the farro; season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the cheese, if using, then garnish with herbs and serve.