Spring Grain Salad with Pea & Mint Pesto
Above: my favorite way to store asparagus - ends trimmed a little, standing up in a bowl or jar with water and refrigerated. Refresh the water often.
I’ve made this salad so many times this spring. I’ve had it as a main, as a side, and thought multiple times how great it would be for a spring picnic or potluck, since it’s so sturdy. It’s a combination of farro (which can be subbed by brown rice or wheatberries), roasted and raw spring veggies, and, the thing that brings it all together, a very green, pea and mint pesto. You can see me make this salad step-by-step in this month’s video :)
Spring Grain Salad with Pea & Mint Pesto
serves 4-6
1 cup farro
sea salt
1 spring onion, sliced (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for roasting the vegetables
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb/455 g asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch mint, stemmed
handful chives (optional)
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds, divided (see note)
1-2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 lemon
4 medium radishes, sliced bite-sized
Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C). Set a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil for blanching the herbs and peas.
Add the farro to a medium pot, cover with plenty of water, and salt well. Bring to a simmer and let simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the farro is cooked through, with a little bite remaining. Strain and let cool (to speed up the cooling, spread the farro on a baking sheet in a thin layer).
If using the spring onion, add it to a parchment-covered baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and mix to coat. Roast for 10 minutes, then add the asparagus to the baking sheet, along with a little more oil, salt, and pepper. Mix to coat and roast for another 15 minutes, until the asparagus is soft but not mushy, and the onions are cooked through and caramelized in places. If not using the spring onion, just proceed to roasting the asparagus for 15 minutes.
Add the mint and chives, if using, to the prepared pot of boiling water. Blanch for 30 seconds, then use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the herbs to a strainer and run under cold water, to stop the cooking. Gently squeeze any excess liquid out of the herbs with your hands and set aside on a plate or cutting board. Blanch the peas in the same water for 30 seconds, strain, and run under cold water.
Add 1/4 cup of the pumpkin seeds to a food processor and pulse a few times, until just broken down. Add the blanched herbs, peas, garlic, zest from the lemon + juice from half the lemon, salt, and pepper to taste. Process to a pesto-like consistency, scraping down the walls of the bowl if needed. With the motor running, slowly stream in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Taste the pesto for salt and pepper, adjust if needed.
Add the farro, roasted vegetables, radishes, the remaining 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, and pesto to a large bowl. Mix to combine. Serve the salad at room temperature or cold. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Note
To toast pumpkin seeds, preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Put the pumpkin seeds on a parchment-covered baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes, or until golden. This can be also be done in a toaster oven at 350° F (175° C) for 4-5 minutes, or until toasted.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
This recipe can be seen as a backbone and adapted to any season. Try switching up the roasted and raw veggies according to what’s available - roasted squash and raw apple in the fall, tomatoes, cucumbers, and roasted/sautéed zucchini in the summer, roasted carrots and cranberries in the winter, etc.
The pesto can also be switched up according to season and what you have on hand. Make it with basil, pine nuts, and zucchini in the summer, walnuts and arugula in the fall, or kale, brussels, and pecans in the winter.