Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

I am really loving farro! A wonderfully nutty grain that you can prepare in so many interesting ways.  I decided to combine farro with another of my favorites portabella mushrooms. Combining cooked farro with garlic, shallots, tomatoes, pine nuts, fresh herbs, and goat cheese then stuffing the mushroom turned into a tasty main meal that was easy to make as well as delicious.  The mushrooms can be made vegan by replacing  the goat cheese  with creamy tofu.  Either way this is a very good meatless meal. 2 large portabella mushroom caps, remove stems and scoop out the mushroom, reserve olive oil for brushing 1/2 cup farro 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 shallot, minced 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1 tablespoon capers, minced 2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled Wash and dry...

I love salads and am always looking for different salads to spice up our dinner table.  Salads are so easy to make, can be done ahead and go with all different types of dishes.  I'm particularly fond of Farro which has a nice nutty taste and should be cooked al dente to retain some crunchiness.  I combined Farro with some of my favorite ingredients to make this sensational salad of Farro, chickpeas, tomatoes and figs. Farro Salad with chickpeas, tomatoes and figs Salad: 4 cups water 11/2 cup Farro 1 can chickpeas drained(reserve liquid) 1 bunch scallions 1 cup chopped tomatoes salt and pepper 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil Dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil juice of one lemon 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Tahini 1 tablespoon reserve liquid from chickpeas 3 fresh figs slice and grilled Salad:   Combine water and Farro in sauce pan bringing to boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and place in serving bowl.  Add t...