October brings more changes to the garden. The last of the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants have been harvested. A new planting of lettuces and greens are ready for salads. Root vegetables: beets, carrots and turnips are large enough to pull from the ground. Both varieties of kale we grow, Cavolo Nero, also known as Lacinato, and Red Russian will provide us with greens for months to come. Another selection from the Giardini (“gardens”) section of the menu from Ava Gene’s restaurant in Portland inspired me from the September issue of Bon Appetit, Fried Farro with Pickled Carrots and Runny Eggs.
In this dish, toasted farro is combined with spicy quick-pickled carrots, exotic mushrooms and earthy kale and topped with a runny egg. Farro is an ancient grain that I wrote in greater detail in a post last year. The recipe calls for browning the farro grains before cooking, enhancing the nutty flavor. The grain in this dish is semi-pearled farro, I was only able to find pearled farro. Pearling removes the inedible hull that surrounds the grain, but it also removes the nutritious germ and bran. Pearled farro will cook a bit quicker than the semi pearled. If you can’t find farro in your store, I think barley or cracked wheat could substitute. Just remember that farro is often translated from Italian into English as “spelt”. Spelt is not farro and will take more than twice as long to cook.
We have been growing kale long before it became a fad and on the menu at every trendy restaurant. In fact the other night it became an ingredient in the Quick fire Challenge on Top Chef. Dana Cowin, editor in chief at Food and Wine magazine included kale, along with bacon, smoked items and runny eggs in a list of “trends that are done”. Sorry Dana, kale is more than a trend for us. We were enjoying it before the masses discovered it and will continue to enjoy it for years to come. In fact it won’t be in it’s prime until after the first frost.
Maitake or hen of the woods mushrooms add a meaty dimension to the dish. Though I have used them many times before, I was not able to source maitakes in our local supermarkets. Maitakes are often called hens in the wood mushrooms because they grow in clusters that resemble the feathers of a chicken. I substituted the similar and less expensive, shiitake mushrooms. I harvested carrots from our garden for the pickle with a fresh Serrano chili. The pickled carrots are very good, don’t forget to add the pickling liquid to the final dish, it adds yet another layer of flavor.
One ingredient was new to me, colatura. At first glance the word looks like coloratura, a soprano with a very nimble and high vocal range. My Google search thought I was looking for coloratura too. However, colatura, like it’s Asian counterparts, nam pla and nuoc man, is a sauce made from anchovies. In this case, anchovies are layered with sea salt in wooden barrels or plastic tubs. The fish are pressed down with a weighted lid. Over time the fish lose their liquid and mix with the salt. The liquid drips through a hole in the tub and collects in another container. The word colatura is from the Italian “colare“, to drip. It is said to be milder and more complex than the Asian anchovy based sauces. Since colatura is $16 for a 100ml bottle and currently out of stock at Amazon, I think my first taste of colatura can wait.
I did see maitakes at my local farmers market this weekend. They were five dollars a quarter pound, shiitakes, a little cheaper at four dollars a quarter pound. The finished dish, even with all my substitutions, was very good. It was a great side dish with chicken, minus the egg it would be a great picnic dish and a great vegetarian entrée. 
Toasted Farro with Pickled Carrots and Runny Eggs
Bon Appetit Sept 2013 -recipe from Ava Gene’s restaurant
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
- 1 Serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1/2c white wine vinegar
- 1t sugar
- 1t kosher salt (plus some more)
- 5T olive oil, divided, you will be using it to separately cook the farro, kale, mushroom and the runny egg
- 1 cup farro (pearled or semi pearled)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped, one is cooked with the farro, the other with the kale
- 6oz shiitake mushrooms, torn into 1″ pieces
- 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale, center ribs removed, torn into 1″ pieces
- 1T anchovy sauce ( I used nam pla) nuoc nam or colatura are accepted choices
- 1/2c fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 large eggs
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
- Place carrots and chile in a small heatproof bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, 1t salt and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour over the carrots and chiles, let sit for at least 30 minutes. When ready to use, drain carrots and reserve the pickling liquid.
- While carrots are pickling, heat 1T oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add farro and half of the garlic and cook, stirring constantly until the farro is dark brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Gently boil farro for 20-25 minutes for semi pearled, slightly less time if pearled. It should be tender but still firm to the bite. Drain well and let cool.
- Heat 1T oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, tossing often, until soft and just starting to brown, 5-7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a plate.
- Add 2T oil to the same pan, cook remaining garlic and kale until the kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce, farro, mushrooms and pickled carrots to the pan. Cook, tossing often until everything is warmed through. Season to taste with salt, fresh ground pepper and pickling liquid. Top with parsley.
- Heat remaining 1T oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Crack eggs into skillet and fry until egg whites are set but yolks are still soft and runny, about 3 minutes.
- Top salad with eggs and scallions, season with red pepper flakes. Just before serving, break up eggs and mix into farro.
