Straight from the Earth

GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLES and TOFU on SWEET CORN and FARRO

When summer days are long and warm, grilling outside often feels like the right thing to do. I love this dish, created in collaboration with Earthbound Farm’s chef Sarah LaCasse, because it features many of my favorite ingredients: chewy whole grains of farro, sweet corn, and sweet-tart grilled cherry tomatoes. —MYRA

Serves 4

FARRO

1 cup/180 g farro (see page 186)

¹/₂ tsp salt

TOFU

1¹/₄ tsp salt

1 tsp pure ground chipotle chile

1 tsp ground cumin

¹/₂ tsp sweet paprika

¹/₂ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¹/₄ tsp dried thyme

¹/₄ tsp dried oregano

¹/₄ tsp garlic powder

1 lb/455 g extra-firm tofu

Cooking spray or canola oil

5 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp red wine vinegar

¹/₂ tsp dried oregano

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 small zucchini, cut into thirds lengthwise

16 cherry tomatoes

2 large ears corn, shucked

1 tsp chopped garlic

Pinch of dried oregano

Preheat a grill to cook directly on medium-high. Soak four 6-in/15-cm wooden skewers for 10 minutes in cold water.

To make the farro: Combine 2 cups/480 ml water, the farro, and salt in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside (covered) until the water is fully absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.

To make the tofu: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, chipotle chile, cumin, paprika, pepper, thyme, oregano, and garlic powder. Cut the tofu into rectangles that are about ¹/₂ in/12 mm thick. Depending on the shape of your tofu, cut either eight or twelve rectangles. Place the tofu on a plate and spray or brush both sides with oil. Sprinkle both sides as evenly as possible with the spice rub, pat it on to help it stick, and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp of the oil, the lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, ¹/₂ tsp salt, and ¹/₄ tsp pepper. Brush the marinade over the zucchini pieces, cherry tomatoes, and corn.

Place the zucchini and corn directly on the grill, turning to cook all sides, until marked and the zucchini is tender when pierced with a fork, 4 to 5 minutes. Grill the tofu, turning once, until marked and warmed all the way through, 5 to 6 minutes. Thread 4 tomatoes on each skewer and grill, turning twice, until warm and the skins begin to burst, 2 to 3 minutes.

When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cobs and add them to the farro. Add the garlic, remaining 2 tbsp oil, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and oregano; toss to combine. Cut the zucchini in half crosswise. Place the farro-corn mixture on a serving platter or on individual plates. Place the zucchini and tofu slices on the farro, and top off with the skewered cherry tomatoes to serve.