Roasted Cherry, Farro, & Arugula Salad

One of the wonderful things about living in a farming community is the abundance of fresh and local ingredients at our fingertips. This salad was inspired by a few trades we made at the farmers market last Thursday.  Arugula was exchanged for some local cherries while kale and collards were traded for some organic cheese.  I love the farmers markets for this reason alone!   We've had successful farmers market sales recently and despite a few really frustrating days in the fields this past weekend, things have been producing well and Tumbleweed Farm continues to amaze us every single day. One of the things I'm really looking forward to is my first bite into a farm fresh tomato- which is only a few short weeks away! Our tomatoes are coming along fast and look healthy and happy. It's extremely hard being patient this time of year however, I will gladly settle for eating plenty of our leafy greens and continue to incorporate them into our daily meals. It also helps when other farmers pass along some of their treasures for us to enjoy too!   I'm going to admit that I haven't pitted cherries for a recipe before (I don't bake and usually just eat them by the handful and spit the pit out.) However, for this particular recipe I was dying to give roasted cherries a try. After about 5 minutes of unsuccessfully pitting my cherries with a knife I decided to google a better method (time is precious around here and I know you guys don't have all day to pit cherries either!) One quick google search and I was all set. If you don't own a cherry pitter check out this awesome method.   This salad is such a seasonal gem that I cannot wait to make it again for my family when they come to town in a few weeks.  If cherries are popping up in your neck of the woods I recommend whipping up this salad as soon as possible. To keep this recipe vegan simply omit the cheese. However, if you can get your hands on some good quality organic cheese it adds a nice touch. Grab a fork and dig in!

Roasted Cherry, Farro & Arugula Salad

Prep Time: 15 mins.
Cook Time: 30 mins.
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed
  • 4 cups cherries, pitted
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup organic goat, feta, or blue cheese crumbles
For the Dressing:
  • 3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Style mustard
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Cook the farro. Place one cup of farro with three cups of water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain of any excess liquid.
  2. While farro cooks preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place pitted cherries on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until cherries release their juices and begin to caramelize. About 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. Combine roasted cherries with cooked farro. Stir in arugula (it will wilt down a bit) and drizzle with dressing. Toss until everything is well combined. Serve warm.
  4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crumbled cheese and chopped walnuts.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary

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