CARROTS & FARRO

SERVES 4

THIS DISH IS THE POSTER CHILD for a central idea of this book: that combinations of vegetables and grains—here, carrots, Swiss chard, and farro—can make a satisfying main course.

Another core idea is to create complex dishes that use all parts of the vegetable—soft leaves, crunchy stems, satisfying bites of the root, and even juice—to set up contrasting flavors and textures. Each distinctive component is served in a bowl, which blends the flavors in an interesting way. The last bite is as moist and delicious as the first.

4 tablespoons olive oil

½ small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup farro, rinsed

¾ cup carrot juice

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon butter

2 carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal

2 cloves garlic, smashed

½ tablespoon honey

1 bunch Swiss chard (about 1 pound), stems reserved, center ribs removed

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and minced garlic and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the farro and toast for about a minute. This step adds a nice nutty note. Pour in 2 cups water and the carrot juice, add salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring, until the farro is tender and a little soupy, about 30 minutes. (It’s delicious to eat at this point!)

Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, heat another tablespoon of the oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, 1 of the smashed garlic cloves, salt, and pepper, and stir for about a minute. Add a cup of water and the honey and simmer, stirring occasionally. The liquid will evaporate as the carrots cook. By the time they are just tender, after about 12 minutes, the liquid will reduce to a glaze. Shake the saucepan to evenly coat the carrots.

While the carrots are cooking, trim leafy bits and fibrous strings from the Swiss chard stems. Heat another tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining smashed garlic clove and the chard stems and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until they wilt, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup water and the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook until tender, another 5 minutes or so. The chard should be moist but not wet. If there’s too much liquid in the saucepan, raise the heat and let it evaporate. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of oil.

Spoon the farro into bowls, top with the chard leaves, then add the glazed carrots and chard stems.