For the last three weeks, I have been thinking about my next “philosophical” post, which will be on the topic of Food and Judging.  I’m thinking about this topic from two angles — (1) how two or more people can eat the exact same meal and come away with completely different assessments of its culinary worth, and (2) the propensity of some people to judge the dietary choices of others, often viscerally and negatively, particularly when decisions about whether or not to consume animal products and alcohol are involved.  That post is not ready for prime time yet because I am still contemplating the reasons why some folks become so judgmental about such choices, and why yours truly gets so bothered by such judgments.  (If you have thoughts about this that you’d like to share while I continue to noodle through this, by all means pass them along.)

In the meantime, just to keep things clicking along here, I thought I’d offer a recipe for a very tasty dish I improvised today.  This recipe was inspired by, and is generally based on, the Baked Brown Rice with Mushrooms recipe in the 2006 version of The Joy of Cooking.  I made the original rice dish for lunch one day last week, and my husband, my dog walker (who’s a frequent food tester — thank you, Sandy!), and I all really liked it.  As I ate it, I found myself thinking that one could use the same preparation method for farro, an Italian variety of wheat that cooks similarly to rice but has a nuttier, chewier aspect.  I tried that for lunch today, and Sandy and I agreed that the farro version was even better than its rice-based predecessor.  

This dish would be a fine accompaniment to roasted meat or poultry but is substantial enough to hold its own as a vegetarian (or vegan) entree.  It also has the advantage of being extremely easy — prep consists of just a bit of chopping and measuring — and takes only about an hour and a quarter from start to finish.  If you try it, let me know what you think in the comments.  Suggestions for improvement always are welcome, especially for a first-time dish such as this.  Happy cooking and buon appetito!  

Baked Farro with Dried Porcini Mushrooms (with Vegan Option)

Equipment

You will need a large, oven-safe skillet or saute pan, such as cast iron or carbon steel, and either an oven-safe lid or a couple sheets of aluminum foil to cover the pan.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups very warm water for 20-30 minutes and then chopped; save the soaking liquid 
• 2 to 3 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
• 1/2 medium onion (I like using red), sliced in very thin half moons
• 2 to 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
• 1 and 1/2 cups farro
• About 2 and 1/4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock, preferably homemade; it’s desirable, but not necessary, to use a stock that used mushrooms and garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Soak the dried mushrooms in 2 cups very warm water for at least 20 minutes  
• While the mushrooms soak–
  • Peel and halve a medium onion, and slice one half into very thin half-moons; save the other half for another use
  • Peel 2 or 3 large cloves garlic and cut into very thin slices
  • Measure out the butter (or oil) and farro
  • Grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano (if you’re using it)
• Drain the mushrooms by pouring the soaking liquid into a 4-cup measuring cup through a fine mesh strainer lined with a paper towel, coffee filter, or cheesecloth; add chicken (or vegetable) stock to the measuring cup until you have 4 cups liquid altogether
• Squeeze the mushrooms to remove any remaining liquid, and then chop them into quarter-inch chunks 
• Heat the butter (or oil) over medium heat in a large, oven-proof skillet or saute pan
• Add the onions and saute for 3 minutes, add the garlic and saute for an additional minute, and then add the chopped mushrooms and saute a couple minutes more, until the mushroom become fragrant
• Add the farro and stir until the grain is evenly coated with cooking fat
• Add the mushroom soaking liquid/stock mixture, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil  
• Cover the pan (aluminum foil works well, provided it’s tightly sealed — use pot holders to press it firmly against the pan!)
• Place the pan in the oven and bake until the farro is al dente and the liquid is almost totally absorbed, about 35 to 40 minutes
• Remove the pan from oven and let this dish stand, covered, for about 10 minutes
• Uncover, stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano if you’re using it, and serve