Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

What is farro? Well the Italian word “farro” basically means “ancient grain” and can refer to a few ancient varieties of our modern wheat. Those varieties include, emmer, spelt and einkorn wheat) all of which are forerunner grains of our modern wheat.

Farro of course is a good whole grain and is nutritious. It’s a good source of protein, fiber and lots of nutrients. Its a healthier alternative to some refined grains for example, white rice (hey, don’t get me wrong I like and still eat white rice). Maybe you’ve seen farro served as a sidedish at a fancy Italian restaurant. Farro even has gotten a bit trendy!

Try Trader Joe’s 10 minute farro which cooks really quickly. (usually these kinds of grain take about 50 minutes to cook). Farro is tasty and you will probably like the nutty taste. It’s delicious on its own with just some butter, salt and pepper. You can cook it in water, or broth (veg, chicken or beef) which will of course make it even tastier. TJ’s Farro is a tasty and healthy whole grain. It makes a great “bed” to put something on top of or works as a side.

A recipe for “Farro with Sausage & Apples” is written on the Trader Joe’s bag. We like to make either as a side dish or part of the Main, say mixed with other veggies, sometimes as the base of a protein bowl. Whole grains like this normally take about 45 minutes to cook however TJ’s “10 Minute Farro” obviously cooks much faster. I am just guessing that maybe it’s been partially cooked to cut down on the cooking time. So it’s really convenient, and healthy and it’s not expensive either. Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro sells for $1.79 for an 8.8 oz. bag. and is something I buy all the time. It’s great for your pantry and I always like to have a bag of it on hand. I suggest trying the “SIMMER” way on the bag to cook it. Use 1/2 cup Farro and 2/3 cup water or broth. You can add a little butter and salt (optional) Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and cook covered for about 10-12 minutes. Cut heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

You can mix this cooked farro with cooked brown rice to come up with your own version of something like TJ’s famous “Brown Rice Medley” (which TJ’s Discontinued much to the outrage of many people who read this blog!)