Grain salads are always a good solution to cooking on hot summer days. Cook up your grain in the early morning and then the kitchen will be cool. I love experimenting with different rice varieties, wheat berries, and cracked wheat to use as the base for cooling summer salads. I particularly like the toothsome, nutty quality of farro. Farro is an ancient strain of wheat that looks like plump barley kernels.

You can find faro in health food stores, gourmet food stores and now in many supermarkets. Don’t get confused with spelt. Spelt sometimes is called farro but tastes different and takes much longer to cook. Make sure to select whole grain farro; pearlized farro has the hull removed and cooks in half the time.. Some are quick cooking while this untreated whole wheat farro takes longer to cook. It’s best to check the package for what specific farro you buy. For this recipe I used Bob’s Red Hill organic Farro.

Higher in protein than pasta or rice, farro can be used in stews, soups, salads or as a substitute in rice dishes like risotto. Farro, pronounced Farr-oh, has recently has become a grain that Americans love to eat. An added plus is that farro is recommended for diabetics. You can have fun with different variations on this salad. Sometimes I’ll add sliced peaches and sliced burrata or mozzarella cheese and finish it with a drizzle of balsamic syrup. Feel free to mix up the vegetables called for the tasty tips below.

This is a variation on tabouli, the Middle Eastern cracked wheat salad traditionally made with olive oil, lemon, mint, tomato, and loads of parsley. While some recipes insist on soaking the farro before cooking I have found that the method below works beautifully and will have a distinctive al dente crunchiness. In this recipe mint and tomatoes are replaced with chopped cucumber, radishes, and fresh goat or feta cheese. Serve this with a chilled soup on a hot summer night for a light and satisfying dinner.

Tasty Tips:

• Add a cup of cooked vegetables like chopped green beans, squash, corn, asparagus tips, broccoli or cauliflower florets.
• For a more substantial salad add a cup of cooked shredded chicken or cold diced shrimp.
• Feel free to double this recipe.
• Cooked corn is an excellent addition.

Farro Vegetable Salad

Serves 4

1 cup whole wheat farro (I used Bob’s Red Hill organic Farro)

3 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup finely diced European cucumber

3/4 cup finely diced radishes

3/4 cup peeled and finely diced carrots

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

1/2 cup favorite vinaigrette

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 pound goat or feta cheese, crumbled

Garnish

Parsley leaves

1. Rinse and drain in a fine-mesh colander set in a sink. Transfer the farro into a large saucepan, cover with water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered until tender, about 30 minutes. The farro should have a little bite to it. Drain again in the colander, and place in a serving bowl. Cool to room temperature.

2. Add the red onion, cucumber, radishes, and carrots. Mix with a two-pronged fork, adding the parsley, chives, and mint.

3. To make the dressing, combine the vinaigrette, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until incorporated. Taste for seasoning.

4. Pour the dressing over the farro and mix with a fork to fluff the farro. Carefully add the goat or feta cheese. Taste for seasoning and garnish with parsley leaves. Chill for at least 3 hours. Serve chilled and garnish just before serving.

Advance Preparation

Can be prepared 4 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated until serving.

At a national potato salad contest I judged last summer, every entrant claimed to have the “best” recipe. After sampling more varieties than I can remember, I came to the obvious conclusion that taste is truly a matter of personal opinion.

I couldn’t enter either of my potato salads into that contest but I still think either of these “coulda been a contender.” One has all the components of classic American potato salad with a little pizzazz. The secret ingredient is celery seed. This salad is creamy, mustardy and even includes chopped hard-boiled eggs. Make sure to keep the salad chilled at all times to avoid any health problems.

My other recipe is a zesty, tomato-vinaigrette-dressed potato salad that has no dairy in it, so you can serve it at an outside gathering without worrying about leaving it in the sun. It is also perfect for those allergic to dairy. Much of the flavor comes from the sun-dried tomato pesto, balsamic vinegar and capers.

I prefer unpeeled potatoes for potato salad because they add color (not to mention it saves time in the kitchen). Scrub them well since there can be dirt on them.

Diane’s Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

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Serves 6-8

3 pounds medium red rose or bliss, tan-skinned or yellow (Yukon Gold) potatoes

Dressing

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 celery stalks, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped scallions

2 teaspoons celery seed

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon grainy mustard

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Wash and scrub off any dirt on the potatoes.
2. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the potatoes for 30 minutes or until tender but slightly resistant when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool. Do not peel. Cut into 2-inch chunks and place in a medium bowl.

3. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, celery, scallions, celery seed, parsley, chopped egg, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well.

4. Pour mixture over potatoes and mix gently until coated. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to one day ahead.

5. To serve, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley. Serve cold.

Advance preparation: Can be made one day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Taste for seasoning before serving.

Potato Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Caper Vinaigrette

Serves 6 to 8

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons store-bought Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

2 tablespoons drained and rinsed capers

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

3 pounds small potatoes such as creamers or fingerlings, unpeeled

2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for the garnish

1. In a small bowl, combine vinegars, mustard, tomato pesto, capers, salt, pepper and parsley. Whisk well to combine. Slowly stream in the olive oil, while whisking until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Set aside.

2. Wash and scrub off any dirt on the potatoes.

3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook potatoes about 20 to 25 minutes or until tender but slightly resistant when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool slightly. Cut into bite-sized chunks and place in a medium bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes and mix gently until coated. Taste for seasoning.

4. Transfer into a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours. Take out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Advance preparation: This can be made one day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Make sure to remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Taste for seasoning.

Ingredients

• 2 heads of butter lettuce, pale inner leaves only, washed and dried
• ¹⁄₃ pound honey-baked ham, cut into julienne
• ¹⁄₃ pound smoked chicken or roast turkey, cut into julienne
• 8 ounces Monterey jack or Swiss cheese, cut into julienne
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
• 8 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In a large salad serving bowl, arrange the leaves of the butter lettuce, tearing the larger leaves into bite-size pieces. Arrange the ham, smoked chicken and cheese on top of the lettuce. You can keep each ingredient separate from the others or jumble them all together. The julienne strips could radiate outward from the center of the salad like the spokes of a wheel. Place the wedges of cherry tomato and hard-boiled egg among the main ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, shallot, and salt and pepper until well-blended. While continuously whisking the dressing, drizzle in the oil, and continue whisking for another 10 to 20 seconds until emulsified.
3. The salad should be served with the dressing on the side, then dressed and tossed at the table.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
• ¹⁄₃ cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¹⁄₄ cup packed, coarsely chopped basil leaves

For the salad:

• ¹⁄₂ pound of fresh mixed salad greens, finely chopped
• 1 large ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1 jar (14.5 ounces) hearts of palm, rinsed and sliced
• ¹⁄₄ European cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 fresh ear of white or sweet yellow corn, husked and kernels cut off (see note)
• ¹⁄₄ cup shelled and chopped pistachio nuts, toasted (see note)
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. To prepare the dressing: In a food processor, combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard, and process to combine. Slowly add the oil, whisking to incorporate. Add the salt, pepper and basil, and pulse until well-blended. Taste for seasoning.
2. To prepare the salad: Combine all the salad ingredients into a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss until all the vegetables are well-coated. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with avocado slices. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper on the salad if desired, and serve.
3. Note: To remove the corn kernels from the cob, break the husked corncob in two. Hold each half vertically, resting it on the blunt end for stability, and slide a chef’s knife down the sides, releasing the corn kernels.
4. To toast the pistachios, place them on a baking sheet in 350-degree oven and toast for 3 to 5 minutes. Cool.

Tips

• Some other flavor additions or substitutions you might consider include sweet red or orange bell peppers, cucumbers, provolone, feta cheese or even olives. Another favorite of mine is to chop up chilled, grilled vegetables and top with some goat cheese. For a more substantial main-course salad, add cooked chicken or seafood.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

 

Ingredients

• 5 ounces shredded kale (½ 10 ounce bag)
• 1 medium head of Romaine lettuce, dark green leaves removed, shredded
• 1½ cups cooked cooled quinoa
• ⅓ cup dried currants
• ⅓ cup toasted almonds, preferably Marcona, coarsely chopped

Dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon style whole grain mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a salad bowl combine the kale, lettuce, quinoa, currants and almonds together and toss.
2. In a food processor combine the salad dressing ingredients. Process until smooth. Taste for seasoning.
3. Just before serving, toss the dressing with the salad ingredients and garnish with the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 people as a side dish, 3 to 4 people as a main dish.