Strawberries are a favored fruit in my world. They are available year round but we tend to enjoy them more as a warm weather food. Strawberries are in our fridge for much of the year. And we savor them in an endless variety of ways that go way beyond breakfast and dessert.

One of our recent lunches with Andrew featured a strawberry and farro grain bowl. Andrew sliced a pound of strawberries while telling us about his week, while Eric cooked the farro, toasted the almonds, and chopped the basil. (My tasks are mainly behind the scenes  – vetting the recipes, shopping for the ingredients, taking the pictures, and clean-up!)

The final step in the production of lunch was making the poppy seed dressing. It was easy and a tasty addition to the farro bowl. Our Summer weekend lunches will often be this grain bowl!

Strawberry Basil Farro Salad

Strawberry Basil Farro Salad (adapted from bobsredmill.com) Total Time Required: 50 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes, Makes: 4 – 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups farro
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 ounces basil, roughly chopped

Wash & slice the strawberries before starting the recipe.

Directions:

Place the farro and broth into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes.

Cook the farro in the vegetable broth.

Drain the farro, rinse it with cool water, then drain it thoroughly. Let the farro cool completely and store chilled until ready to use.

Drain the farro.

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes, until they start to brown. Set the almonds aside.

Toast the almonds.

To make the dressing, place the shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt in the cup of a wand blender and process until smooth. Continue to process while slowly adding the oil into the dressing until smooth, creamy, and emulsified. Stir in the poppy seeds. Store the dressing in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the dressing.

To assemble salad, add the farro, strawberries, and almonds to a large bowl. Add the dressing and the basil and gently toss to combine.

Combine the farro, strawberries, almonds, dressing and basil in a large bowl.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Strawberries are not just for dessert!

Strawberries are not just dessert in our home!  ~Linda

Strawberry Basil Farro Salad (adapted from bobsredmill.com) Total Time Required: 50 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes, Makes: 4 – 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups farro
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 ounces basil, roughly chopped

Directions:

Place the farro and broth into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the farro, rinse it with cool water, then drain it thoroughly. Let the farro cool completely and store chilled until ready to use.

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes, until they start to brown. Set the almonds aside.

To make the dressing, place the shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt in the cup of a wand blender and process until smooth. Continue to process while slowly adding the oil into the dressing until smooth, creamy and emulsified. Stir in the poppy seeds. Store the dressing in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the salad, add the farro, strawberries, and almonds to a large bowl. Add the dressing and the basil and gently toss to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.