Zucchini + Farro Salad

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup farro

2 teaspoons salt plus more

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large zucchini cut into 1 inch pieces

2-3 tablespoons neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed

1/2 small onion, sliced thinly

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup feta

1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon sumac

flaky salt to finish

1. In a medium saucepan combine 2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, bay leaf and farro. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook until tender but not mushy- approximately 20-25 minutes. Drain well, remove bay leaf and transfer farro to a bowl to cool. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooked farro on a paper towel to dry well for frying.

2. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of neutral oil to the pan- you'll want about 1/4 inch of oil covering the bottom of the pan. Heat until the oil is hot and shimmery (you can test this by tossing in one piece of farro- it should start to bubble and cook immediately). Add the 1/4 cup of reserved farro to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally until the farro is deep brown, crispy and starting to clump together, approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain the oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan and then place zucchini in pan, taking care not to crowd. You may want to do this in two batches. Cook zucchini undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until it starts to char and then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and place in the bowl with the farro.

4. Add sliced onions, crumbled feta and mint leaves to the bowl with the farro and zucchini. Dress with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, juice of 1/2 a lemon, a sprinkle of flaky salt and sumac. Top with crispy farro.