I have been making basil pesto for a while, but up until recently I had only been using it for pasta. When I came across the idea of using pesto in a dish like tilapia with pesto and roasted tomatoes , it opened my mind to new possibilities. When I was at the farmers market they had big bunches of basil that I just could not pass up on. I was thinking that a whole grain salad with a pesto dressing would be a good idea. At the farmers market I also found some of the first of the locally grown zucchini and they still had some asparagus and my salad was taking form. Since the zucchini and asparagus were so fresh I decided to simply blanch them and enjoy their freshness. I like to complete my salads with beans, nuts and cheese. I was also planning on adding some fresh peas but I completely forgot. This salad was pretty easy to throw together and is was nice and fresh and summery and good! The basil pesto worked really well in the salad the lemon juice brightened everything up. I am looking forward to discovering more ways to enjoy pesto.
Asparagus and Zucchini Farro Salad
ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 1 zucchini (thinly sliced)
- 1 handful asparagus (cut into bite sized pieces)
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
- 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
- 1/4 cup pecorino romano (crumbled)
directions
- Cook the farro as directed.
- Blanch the zucchini and asparagus in boiling water.
- Mix the basil pesto, olive oil and lemon juice.
- Toss every thing to mix.
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Gloria says
July 14, 2008 at 10:46 pmThis look and sounds Kevin how a very delicious salad!! xGloria
VeggieGirl says
July 14, 2008 at 11:04 pmKein, you need to just open a restaurant already, haha :0) EVERYTHING you make is absolutely brilliant and so elegantly plated!!
Lisa says
July 14, 2008 at 11:14 pmThanks for this entry Kevin! I always do look forward to an entry from you. The peas would have been a nice addition, but this recipe is not at all lacking in taste or flavour. I too sometimes forget to add ingredients I mean too 🙂
Helene says
July 14, 2008 at 11:37 pmSuch a nice meal Kevin.
noble pig says
July 14, 2008 at 11:53 pmWhat a great idea for a salad.
Michelle says
July 15, 2008 at 12:39 amFarro? Huh? Very rarely do I need to google an ingredient, but hey, there’s always something new to learn. 🙂 Salad looks divine by the way.
maybelles parents says
July 15, 2008 at 12:52 amsounds very healthy. would be great for a packed lunch
Katie says
July 15, 2008 at 1:31 amI love asparagus & zucchini! That salad sounds wonderful. Great blog!
cook eat FRET says
July 15, 2008 at 1:39 amthat combo salad sure does look good!
Dragon says
July 15, 2008 at 1:45 amSo simple and yet it makes a lovely composition. Well done.
Sarah says
July 15, 2008 at 1:54 amlove the use of farro…we all need to be cooking and eating the more interesting stuff
[eatingclub] vancouver || js says
July 15, 2008 at 2:04 amWonderful salad. I love the combination of vegetables and grains.
Sue says
July 15, 2008 at 2:18 amHi Kevin
I have given your blog and award. Please visit mine to claim it.
http://wwwbacktothetable.blogspot.com/
Manggy says
July 15, 2008 at 2:26 amI love how the thin zucchini is just draped so delicately under it– thanks for reminding me I need to use that bag of farro already! 🙂
Steph says
July 15, 2008 at 2:50 amThat salad looks amazing! You always come up with the best ideas!
Lobster Recipe says
July 15, 2008 at 3:28 amIs farro something that is readily available? Can’t remember ever seeing it at the grocery store.
diva says
July 15, 2008 at 3:41 amnew possibilities indeed. what a lovely salad! i find my favourite place to spoon loads of pesto onto is still a thin crust stonebaked pizza…ah!
Paula says
July 15, 2008 at 4:42 amAnother terrific recipe! I love the composition of chick peas and zucchini together. Pecorino romano makes all things with zucchini divine! Yum!
farida says
July 15, 2008 at 4:47 amI’ll admit I am not quite familiar with faro so your post made me open my eyes and go educate myself a little more about new to me mysterious ingredients:) Your salad looks and sounds delicious and packed with flavor! Nice job, as usual!
Jenny says
July 15, 2008 at 5:18 amWhat a beautiful looking salad Kevin! Really nice!
cindy* says
July 15, 2008 at 5:23 amyour grain salads are always so tempting! this looks so good.
OhioMom says
July 15, 2008 at 10:38 amLovely and delicious … 🙂
Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says
July 15, 2008 at 11:11 amYay for wholegrains lol. This looks seriously good. Oh and I always seem to forget a crucial ingredient! 🙂
Kim says
July 15, 2008 at 12:10 pmThat salad could make a zucchini lover out of me, wonderful.
Holler says
July 15, 2008 at 12:47 pmThis has to be an absolute winner Kevin. Gorgeous and what a good way to use pesto!
Anonymous says
July 15, 2008 at 12:55 pmThis is quite the interesting combination. I like it quite a bit. And it’s certainly something Iwouldn’t have considered. So thank you for the inspiration.
Ben says
July 15, 2008 at 1:18 pmThat looks so delicious and so healthy! I love farmer’s markets and all their delicious goods. I need to visit them more often, though.
Dee says
July 15, 2008 at 1:47 pmI love how reading about other people’s food can open your eyes. Before today, I’d never heard of farro. Now I’m going to Google it.
It’s always a pleasure to stop by your kitchen, Kevin.
Grace says
July 15, 2008 at 1:51 pmgreat entry! i love the colors and ingredients–you didn’t need those peas anyway. 🙂
Elra says
July 15, 2008 at 2:33 pmSuperb!!!!!!
Healthy summer meal. You have lots of good idea and such a good cook Kevin….
Indigo says
July 15, 2008 at 3:52 pmMm, this looks great, especialy with the asparagus and walnuts! I really need to start making my own pesto too…
Cheryl says
July 15, 2008 at 3:56 pmI have no idea what Farro is but I will investigate. It looks good tho!
Mike of Mike's Table says
July 15, 2008 at 5:32 pmI’ve never had farro, but this salad looks really tasty and summery
Pam says
July 15, 2008 at 7:55 pmBookmarking this! I love grain salads!
Lina says
July 15, 2008 at 8:26 pmi recently discovered farro. good stuff! your salad looks amazing.
Marjie says
July 15, 2008 at 9:13 pmI love asparagus, and I’m constantly amazed at what you cook and photograph. I’ve passed an award on to you for a creative, artistic and inspirational blog. Thanks for all the ideas and inspiration you’ve given me, and so many others!
Sara says
July 15, 2008 at 9:14 pmmmmm, this looks delicious! good use of zucchini…we have far too much of it in the garden at the moment!!
Bruno says
July 15, 2008 at 10:39 pmWell now I know what to do with these zucchini!
My Sweet & Saucy says
July 15, 2008 at 11:35 pmThis salad is gorgeous looking Kevin! Wish I could taste bit too!
Kevin says
July 16, 2008 at 12:25 amLobster Recipe: It took me a bit of effort to find the farro. I ended up finding it in a small specialty import grocery store.
Mrs Ergül says
July 16, 2008 at 12:56 amlove the greens all over the photo! This looks good too!
Bridgett says
July 16, 2008 at 1:53 amThat is a beautiful salad with, as I can imagine, a wonderful flavor. I am loving all the asparagus recipes you have.
amandalouden says
July 16, 2008 at 5:39 amdo you make anything badly? Looks great.
amandalouden says
July 16, 2008 at 5:41 ambtw, another great grain salad. love it.
Deborah says
July 16, 2008 at 9:49 pmI have 2 basil plants that are going crazy right now, so this would be a perfect way to use them up!
Elly says
July 17, 2008 at 10:45 pmThis is a gorgeous salad, Kevin, and it sounds great, too. I still haven’t tried farro, but I need to.
Astra Libris says
July 24, 2008 at 1:53 amKevin, what could be better than homemade pesto with all your gorgeous salad ingredients? 🙂 I can’t think of a single thing – I think you’ve created my dream salad! 🙂
Jeanne says
July 25, 2008 at 2:10 pmOh I love everything abotu this salad – the colours, textures and flavours! Also, it provides me with a way of using farro (which I’m never sure of what to do with!). Definitely bookmarking this one!