Love:

This time of year when the days are shorter and getting colder all I want to do is cuddle on the couch with my sweetie and our fury children with a bowl of comfort, this Farro and Eggs is perfect for that. This is a one pot dish that can be eaten anytime of the day and requires minimal ingredients but is big on flavor. With the holidays just around the corner we all need a few dishes up our sleeves that are easy to throw together and will please just about anyone. I don’t know about you but we will be busting at the seams in December with guests and I can’t wait to dazzle my friends and family with this one, ENJOY!

Food:

Farro and Eggs– serves 4 as a side, 2 as a hearty main

1/2-1 c. water (it depends on how much liquid is in your tomato jar)

1 cup semi-pearled farro (I find my farro at Caputo’s Market) (if you have time I suggest you soak your farro for 1-4 hours)

1/2-1 large onion, sliced in half and then in half-moon slices (I used a whole onion)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 quart size jar of canned tomatoes (I used home canned, you can use any you like)

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt

1 tsp. fennel blossom (Caputo’s Market, this is optional)

Up to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Few basil leaves or fresh parsley, chopped

4 organic eggs (I love Clifford eggs)

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Drain farro and rinse. Place your favorite pot on the stove, add farro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, 1 T. olive oil and spices and 1/2c. water. Turn heat on and bring to a boil, when the pot begins to boil turn heat down to medium low and let it simmer away stirring a few times. Set the timer for 25 min.

2. When the timer goes off check the liquid, if you think it needs more add another 1/2c., next crack the eggs on top of the farro and season just a bit with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pot and let  it all cook another 5 min or until the whites off the eggs are set and the yolk still look sunny side up! If you don’t like runny yolks cook for another few minutes until they are set.

3. Pull the pot off the heat and garnish with fresh herbs and extra olive oil, serve IMMEDIATELY!

Kindly adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Martha Stewart

Nutrition:

Farro- Farro is essentially a form of Spelt. Spelt’s cultivation is thought to have begun sometime during the mid- to late Neolithic (Stone Age), 6000 to 5000 B.C.E. an area that spans parts of modern Iraq, Iran and Jordan, making this one of the earliest crops grown in the Western World! Farro is an Italian staple grain, so when buying look for Farro but know spelt can be used in its place (but not in this recipe). The texture will be different. Farro is not labeled ‘organic’ but historically has been known to have not been sprayed due to the fact that it will not survive if treated with harmful sprays. Farro/Spelt is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, complete protein and fiber. Spelt is a good alternative for those allergic to wheat. The gluten found in Spelt is more fragile than that found in wheat, so it is more easily digested.

Why should we soak and sprout our grains?

Grains contain phytic acid, phytic acid is a substance in grains that inhibits absorption of minerals. By soaking grains phytic acid will be reduced and the minerals in the grains will be unlocked so that you can benefit from them, making the more digestible and making the vitamins and minerals more available for the body to utilize. Sprouting also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds. These inhibitors can neutralize our own precious enzymes in the digestive tract. Complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down during sprouting, and a potion of the starch in grain is transformed into sugar. Finally, numerous enzymes that help digestion are produced during the germination process.