certain springness

April 21 2010 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 19 comments

Here’s what I propose: a picnic. In Chicago. Later today. Say, around noon? Don’t be late because I hear there’s a cold front moving in along the lake this afternoon. Assuming we can beat that, I think this city will make a fine location for our picnic. It’s that lovely tulip-y time of year and we’ll surely find a swatch of open grass in Millenium Park. Somehow, I’ll try to secure a few blankets—big ones, so there’ll be plenty of room for all of us. We’ll eat cool, colorful salads that have been packed into jars and containers; we’ll sip lemonade; we’ll eat slices of a homey cake wrapped in parchment paper. It would be my first picnic of the season and there’s a certain springness to that that makes me smile.

It’ll be great, don’t you think?

Okay, perhaps this plan is a little impractical. Short notice, day jobs, blah, blah, blah. But can you blame a girl for daydreaming? The change of season has got me feeling restless. I can see the trees outside, first budding, then blossoming, now bursting and lushly green, and I want to be out among them. I want to be wandering through the city’s streets; sitting on the edge of Lake Michigan watching the waves wash over the beach; driving out of the city and into the quiet; reclining on my deck, squinting into the sun. I want to be anywhere but inside, and I want to be there all the time.

The change in seasons has me wanting to eat differently, too. Despearate to shift out of the softness and beigeness of winter food, I’ve got pangs for crunch and color. Those salads I mentioned above? Well, in this little daydream of mine, they feature asparagus and radishes and, oooh!, ramps. And that cake? I’m picturing this one, little strawberries sunken into a sugar-dusted basic white cake. Yet the only spring produce to be found in this neck of the woods comes not from local farms, but from the supermarket, where it arrived after traveling from the the far corners of this country (and, in the case of some bundles of Mexican asparagus at Whole Foods a couple weeks back, even farther).

My impatience gets the best of me and I buy this produce despite its far-flung origins. But the strawberries I got last week were watery and tasteless, apparently voided of their flavor on the trip from California to Chicago. The asparagus from Mexico was thick and woody—a far cry from the pencil-thin early asparagus I’m pining for. And I count myself lucky to have avoided the pale, limp rhubarb.

This past Sunday, I drew the line. I can’t take anymore sub-par substitutes: I will just have to wait for the real-deal arrival of spring produce right here in the midwest. So, at the grocery store, it was back to the freezer case and hearty, knobbly vegetable department for me. In the former, I snapped up a bag of frozen blueberries; in the latter, I stocked up on potatoes, Swiss chard (purchashing what had to be my 500th bunch of the season), and red cabbage. This last thing—the cabbage—would provide color and crunch, at least.

The cabbage went into a grain-based salad I spied in a recent issue of Food & Wine. Though the recipe alternatively suggests spelt, brown rice, or wheat berries, I opted for farro, which the recipe has you toast and then simmer along with a lone sprig of thyme, which delivers freshness in a way I’ve been craving. In another pot, red onions (more color!) are sauteed and then braised on the stovetop in a splash of red wine vinegar and some water, along with chopped ribbons of the cabbage. When the cabbage has taken on the tang of its braising liquid and begun to soften (but hasn’t altogther lost its crunch), it’s stirred into the farro and finished off with a handful of toasted walnuts and a healthy showering of just-crumbled feta.

The end result, a warm salad (which is equally good chilled, straight from the fridge) is hearty and satisfying—and pretty, to boot. It’s been replacing soup, my go-to winter lunch, all week long. Though I’ve been taking it at my desk, I think it would be even tastier eaten on a checked blanket that’s been spread out in the grass. Which brings me back to the picnic: any takers?

Farro with Red Cabbage & Feta
Adapted from Food & Wine

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup walnuts (4 ounces), toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
1 pound red cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1/2 cup water
2 cups Thyme-Scented Farro (recipe follows)
4 ounces feta or ricotta salata, crumbled (1 cup)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is barely wilted, 6 minutes. Add the thyme and the water, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and the water has evaporated, 20 minutes. Stir in the Thyme-Scented Farro, feta (or ricotta salata) and toasted walnuts. Transfer to a bowl and serve. (The farro can also be served chilled or at room temperature.)

Thyme-Scented Farro
Food & Wine

Yield: 4 cups

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups farro (10 ounces)
1 small onion, finely diced
2 thyme sprigs
3 cups water
Kosher salt

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the farro and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly toasted; the grains will turn slightly opaque just before browning. Add the onion and thyme and cook over low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the water and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over very low heat until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Fluff the grains and discard the thyme sprigs. Season the grains with salt and serve.

19 comments so far. »
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Esther says on April 21 2010 at 10:33 am:

This looks a lot like one of the only things my mom really does well in the kitchen – salads, original, good, crunchy ones. I would love to try that right now, but.. today’s my sixth day of fasting I feel with you on the spring, outdoors issues
Rose-Anne says on April 21 2010 at 10:47 am:

Ooh la la! Springtime in Chicago, a warm salad topped with feta and walnuts, and a picnic invite! If I weren’t 900 miles from Chicago, I’d be there in a heartbeat. Can I bring oatmeal cookies?

Kristin, you sure know how to get a person excited about cooking. I want to make this salad this weekend. The uncooked wheat berries in my fridge are feeling neglected.
Jessica @ How Sweet says on April 21 2010 at 10:52 am:

That is such a beautiful dish! Wish I could go on a picnic right now.
Half Assed Kitchen says on April 21 2010 at 11:04 am:

I’m in!
sarah @ syrupandhone says on April 21 2010 at 11:22 am:

I’ve been eating the Mexican asparagus too! I’m in VA and our farmer’s market is supposed to be getting local asparagus in this weekend…score.
Maddie says on April 21 2010 at 11:26 am:

If I can’t have the sunshine and checked blanket, you’ve posed a great alternative here. Virginia’s in for a week of rain, and my weekend camping plans have been dashed, so I could really use some comforting food! Thanks for the great idea (and mood lift).
Gemma says on April 21 2010 at 11:38 am:

Beautiful! I wish I could head to a picnic right now.
heather @ chiknpastry says on April 21 2010 at 2:13 pm:

we think alike with our F&W choices! i made the farro as well, but used it for “the other” salad on the same page. still have this one pulled though, so i’m not counting it out yet!
Jacqueline says on April 21 2010 at 2:21 pm:

Lovely food and such a wonderful idea, I would have loved to have joined you. I had a stroll around the garden with my baby, who screwed his face up at the sun.
Whitney says on April 21 2010 at 4:56 pm:

That makes me want to go to one of the free concerts in the park super soon.

Can you believe how cold it got today? I started running errands in sandals and totally regretted it by the end of the day.
The Rowdy Chowgirl says on April 22 2010 at 10:45 am:

I’d love to join the picnic! It somehow reminds me of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but even better, because of the crunchy salad!
Barbara says on April 22 2010 at 6:23 pm:

I’ve made a couple dishes with farro and really enjoyed them. I’d love to join you on this picnic! Lake Michigan? Love it. Spent a lot of time there when I was younger!
Betsy says on April 22 2010 at 9:34 pm:

Mmm looks good. I’ve been craving crunchy veggies too, and can’t wait for our CSA to begin in a few weeks! Do you do a CSA or plant some of your own vegetables?
Jessica @ The Cooking Chick says on April 23 2010 at 9:06 am:

I am also a soup person, so its always great to learn another recipe to add into that repertoire to change it up a bit. Hope we are all able to get outside today and soak up some vitamin D before the rain comes…
Anne says on April 25 2010 at 2:10 pm:

I’m in Chicago and would totally be up for a picnic sometime! This weather is making me impatient for a real spring day too. These salads look really good… and easy to bring for a lunch at work. Thanks!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on April 26 2010 at 6:38 pm:

Hello everyone! It sounds like we’ll have a lovely turnout for this picnic! Now we just need the weather to turn around for us again …

Betsy: We rely mainly on the farmers’ markets (as all of our attempts at container gardening have been less than successful).
Pam says on April 28 2010 at 8:09 am:

I’m in a Chicago burb but from Louisville. Good for your parents, they will love the Derby!!! Your dish sounds delicious. Have a good visit with your parents!
Megan Gordon says on May 05 2010 at 12:26 am:

Lovely post, Kristin! I know…everyone around here has spring fever big time as well. I giggled at first because I made the same exact recipe maybe about a month ago on my blog and we have very similar taste in photo styling. Great minds think alike Couldn’t you just eat this every day? I was looking forward to leftovers…

Hope your week’s going well!
nkb says on June 06 2010 at 4:27 pm:

I made this as one of my sides for memorial day. two suggestions:

1.start the thyme scented farro before the rest of the recipe. it will save you a lot of time later.

2. a little bit less salt in the thyme-scented farro.

otherwise this was terrific.