wild Javelina

My sister is an incredible chef, full of incredible ideas that are always inspiring and getting me excited about cooking. I was having dinner at her restaurant last week and her vegan special for the evening was a farro risotto. I had never had farro before and was really blown away with this dish. If you haven’t tried this grain in the past this is a really great showcase of it. It holds on to it’s toothsome al dente bite, and has a really nice earthy flavor. Pick up a bag if you see some and give this a try! This is not my sisters recipe- but is indeed fully inspired by her.

Grilled Asparagus and Fennel Farro Risotto

1 sweet onion -diced
3 cloves of garlic-smashed and finely diced
1 fennel bulb- diced, fronds reserved
about 12oz or so fresh asparagus
1/4 -1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley- coarsely chopped
fresh mint- coarsely chopped
1 cup of farro-rinsed and soaked in cold water for about 20 minutes
1 cup of dry white wine- I used sauvignon blanc
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
olive oil/Earth Balance to saute
salt and pepper to taste 

The farro takes awhile to cook, mine took close to 45 minutes, so get that going first. Warm the vegetable stock over low heat and keep this warm throughout. Heat a large skillet or fry pan and add enough oil to coat the bottom. When making risotto I usually use half olive oil and half earth balance. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the diced fennel and farro-saute for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and add the white wine. Allow to simmer until the wine has been fully absorbed. Ladle in the warm stock about 1 cup at a time- You don’t need to constantly stir, but occasionally give it a mix up. After most of the liquid has been absorbed- Repeat, until the stock has all been absorbed by the grain- taste and note the firmness of the grain- if it seems undercooked to you, add another cup of stock- or water and cook that down.

For the asparagus-I used a stovetop grill pan, and cooked it dry until it began to soften and gave me some nice char marks-About 10 minutes flipping once. You could also oven roast these or grill them outside. Set these aside to cool, then slice on a bias into bite size pieces.

If your farro has been cooked to where you’re happy with the texture, add the coconut milk and nutritional yeast. As this last batch of liquid begins to reduce and absorb stir in the asparagus pieces, chopped parsley and fennel fronds. Stir to incorporate and simmer for just a few more minutes. You should have a creamy and thick risotto at this point. Serve topped with freshly chopped mint- Really this is more than a garnish, and should not be overlooked- the mint combined with the parsley, and fennel- just adds an amazing depth of flavor that would truly be missed without.