Farro is a nutritious grain that, as of late, has gained in popularity in the U.S. Nutrition experts claim that this grain goes back 20,000 years to early Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. That’s quite a pedigree. What I like about farro, which is very popular in Italian cuisine, is its nutty flavor, and it has a chewy texture, somewhat like rice. In this dish I paired farro with another favorite, garbanzos (chickpeas to you guys). It makes for a wholesome, delicious salad during the dog days of summer. What you do is cook the farro during late morning, when it’s still cool, refrigerate, and have it for dinner. A quickie, easy repast.

FARRO AND CHICKPEA SALAD

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup farro, cooked per package instructions, then cooled (it makes about 3 cups)
1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup loosely packed chopped parsley
½ cup loosely packed chopped scallions

Instructions:

1. In a cup or small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. This will form the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooled farro, chickpeas, parsley, scallions, and lemon dressing. Toss to incorporate, and refrigerate for at leas 2 hours.
Yield: 4-6 servings.