Choose Your Own Farro Salad ala Trellis

Fresh and perfect as a main salad. The base is farro, with a selection of vegetables thrown in. The vedgie selection is totally up to you - clean out your friedge or go to the farmers market and pick what looks good. I try to mix textures: crunchy and soft, flavors: sweet and savory. I have had it with and without the beans. Both are good. A hit with Ava and Rose.

The best part of this salad is that it is totally customizable!

Something substantial:
1-2 cups farro (or quinoa, or wheat berries, or...)
1/2 to 1 cup black beans or garbanzo beans (or white beans or...)

Something crunchy:
1 carrot, diced
celery, jicama or cucumbers (or all of the above), chopped 
radishes, sliced

Something sweet:

green grapes, halved or melon, chopped
apple, sliced

nectarine or peaches, diced

Something juicy:

raw corn, stripped off the cob
cherry tomatoes, halved
red peppers, diced

Greens

green onion or chopped sweet onion
spinach or other greens
mint, basil and/or parsley, julienned

DRESSING

You have at least 2 options. The first is a bright lemon juice dressing. The second is a slightly smoother garlic confit with lemon juice dressing.  

1) Bright Lemon Mix salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, and a little bit of oil together. Add a bit of grated ginger if you want some spice. Mix a few tablespoons, or more, into the salad.

2) Garlic Confit with Lemon Put about 10-12 cloves raw garlic in a pan and cover with olive oil. Cook on a really low heat for 45 mins or until the garlic has bubbles around it and turns golden. Zest and juice 1 lemon. Add garlic, oil, 1/2 the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and blend in the blender. Taste. Add more lemon juice if needed, or add some maple syrup if it's too sharp.

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Farro: Cook the farro with 4 cups of water or stock until chewy (not crunchy), about 30-60 minutes. Drain.

2. Mix in the vegetables into the farro.

3. Drizzle dressing over mixture.

2. Garnish with slivered apples, toasted nuts, sesame seeds or whatever looks good.