Farro Pilaf with Balsamic Cherries
Today started and ended with me doing my darnedest to support the planet. First thing in the morning, I co-hosted an assembly for kindergartners and first-graders at my daughter's school, representing the parent/teacher Green Team. We reviewed the topics from a journal the kids have been working on since January, which the Green Team designed. Each month, they did a simple activity to get them thinking about a new topic: plastic waste; compost, storm drains, etc.
It was good fun! Hopefully we're inspiring environmental consciousness at a young age.
And then for dinner I made a surprisingly good vegetarian dish. I am not sure why I was surprised; I did put this recipe on my list because it looked good. I guess I just get tired of cooking so I tell myself that what I make isn't going to be very good anyway, so why bother?
I gritted my teeth and cooked it regardless, and it WAS good. Be warned that you're going to need time to pre-soak your farro if you want to make "Farro Pilaf with Balsamic Cherries" (NYT Cooking; subscription required). But if it's cherry season, just plan ahead and do it, because this one's a winner: easy and a hit with my backup dancers.
The recipe calls for cooking your farro until it is "splayed," whatever the heck that means. Does this look splayed to you? I decided it was. *shrugs*
Guess what, Starbucks is piloting reusable cups! At least a couple of our local coffee places will put their coffee in my thermos if I bring it in, too. It's not revolutionary, but it would be great if more people did it.
And there you have it: my earth-friendly Monday. Do your part too and share my blog with someone who needs a little environmentalism in their life.
It was good fun! Hopefully we're inspiring environmental consciousness at a young age.
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| Here we are illustrating how it's better for the environment if food doesn't have to travel very far. See that bag of spinach? It came from the local farmer's market, and stay tuned for its fate at dinnertime.... |
And then for dinner I made a surprisingly good vegetarian dish. I am not sure why I was surprised; I did put this recipe on my list because it looked good. I guess I just get tired of cooking so I tell myself that what I make isn't going to be very good anyway, so why bother?
I gritted my teeth and cooked it regardless, and it WAS good. Be warned that you're going to need time to pre-soak your farro if you want to make "Farro Pilaf with Balsamic Cherries" (NYT Cooking; subscription required). But if it's cherry season, just plan ahead and do it, because this one's a winner: easy and a hit with my backup dancers.
The recipe calls for cooking your farro until it is "splayed," whatever the heck that means. Does this look splayed to you? I decided it was. *shrugs*
I cooked the farro in veggie stock (store-bought), and only put in half a tablespoon of butter at the end; it would have been plenty good without. I also tucked in what amounted to maybe 1 packed cup of baby spinach, with the thyme and cherries at the end, such that it wilted just a bit. It added color and vitamins, so I was very pleased with that.
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| Remember the spinach from the assembly (photo above)? Here it is again, in the farro pilaf! |
Guess what, Starbucks is piloting reusable cups! At least a couple of our local coffee places will put their coffee in my thermos if I bring it in, too. It's not revolutionary, but it would be great if more people did it.
And there you have it: my earth-friendly Monday. Do your part too and share my blog with someone who needs a little environmentalism in their life.
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