What with holidays and more holidays and birthdays taking precedence, I didn’t get to tell you about this fantastic breakfast I made like three weeks ago. Similar to wheat berries, farro is apparently something you can eat for breakfast. Hearty and satisfying, a little bit sweet, a little bit creamy, a little bit licoricey, this was a surprisingly delicious, somewhat exotic concoction. My taste testers really liked it.
Again I roasted grapes. Except this time I actually broiled them, which, I must say, is preferable to roasting. It doesn’t take as long, and the juices didn’t blacken and burn like last time, not that that was really a problem but it was ugly. Broiled grapes are really fabulous. Put them on oatmeal, yogurt, couscous, chicken, pork tenderloin. Or your morning farro, of course.
You make this just like you would oatmeal. The farro is simmered with anise and cinnamon, then finished with honey, cream, vanilla, more cinnamon, and the luscious honey-roasted grapes. (What could be bad?) You could top it with anything though, depending on what’s in season: strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and someone’s ready for summer.
Creamy Farro with Honey-Roasted Grapes, from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck
Ingredients:
For the farro
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup farro
- 1 tsp anise seeds (or fennel seeds)
- 1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- pinch of fine sea salt
For the roasted grapes, and to finish
- 3 cups seedless red grapes (1 1/4 lbs)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp honey, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
Directions:
- To prepare the farro, bring the water, farro, anise seeds, cinnamon stick, and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the farro is tender but still slightly chewy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick, drain any remaining liquid, and return the farro to the saucepan.
- Meanwhile, prepare the grapes. Position a rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Spread the grapes on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the honey and toss to combine. Broil until the grapes just start to shrivel and release some juices as they burst, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately transfer the grapes with their juices to a heatproof bowl.
- To finish, add the cream and vanilla extract to the farro and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until the cream thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons honey, add the grapes with their juices, and cook just long enough to reheat the fruit, about 2 minutes. Divide among bowls, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve warm with more honey on the side.
