Farro w/ Roasted Carrots, Dates & Feta

I've been so into these main dish salads lately.

I'm also happy that after 25 plus years, my husband is on board with cleaner, healthier eating too.
He is even requesting these salads to take for lunch! (shocking).

That would include farro.

An ancient cereal grain, made from hulled wheat. It is nutty and toothy in the mouth (doesn't sound appealing when I say it like that, but it is).

I mail order mine from Abruzzo and it takes a bit of work to get it ready, but it's easy once you get the hang.
Trader Joe's sells farro, you don't have to be fancy like me.

You soak the Super Sugar Crisp cereal looking things (remember the cereal with the bear?) in cold water for 30 minutes.
Then drain the old water and add back to the saucepan with more water. Boil for about 25 minutes until tender, and you are ready to go.

Healthy, hearty and delicious.

Farro w/ Roasted Carrots, Dates & Feta:

2 cups of farro, cooked as per package directions
6 carrots, peeled and split horizontally into quarters
8 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
kosher salt & olive oil for roasting the carrots
1 cup of feta cheese
1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
juice of a lemon
1 small shallot, chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
good olive oil

Cook farro as per directions on package (like I said above, I have to soak mine for 30 minutes in cold water, then rinse and drain and cook in new boiling water for 25 minutes........each farro differs). When the farro is cooled, transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with some olive oil so it doesn't stick together.

Roast the carrots:

Cut the carrots in half horizontally, then in half again (so you have 4 long sticks for each carrot). Lay on a baking sheet and drizzle w/ olive oil and kosher salt. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes total, turning once in the middle of roasting so all sides get nice and caramelized.

Transfer to a cutting board and cut the carrots into smaller pieces and place in a large bowl with the dates and cooked farro.

Make a dressing with the shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, honey and olive oil. Season w/ sea salt & pepper.

Pour the dressing over the farro, dates and roasted carrots.

Sprinkle on the feta and fresh parsley and mix together until you have one beautiful salad.

Taste for seasonings and adjust if you need to.

Enjoy!