Farro Salad with Artichokes

You can learn something new every day?  What about trying something new everyday?  I did that....it was Farro. Not that I didn't want to try it before but it just wasn't available in my area for the longest time. FINALLY, I found some.  Hallelujah.  

Farro is a whole grain that is an excellent source for complex carbohydrates. Farro is high in fibre and protein.  There's a carbohydrate in Farro called cyanogenic glucosides that has been found to stimulate the immune system, lower cholesterol and help maintain blood sugar levels......just in case you were wondering.

I absolutely love this salad.  The Farro has a bit of a chew to it, a nutty flavour and is quite filling.  The combination of the green beans and artichoke hearts just works and gives the salad a nice texture.  I couldn't get enough of this salad.  In fact, I wasn't even going to blog about it but after tasting it, knew I needed to share.  I'd done something very right here.  This will be a staple on our table, especially with the warmer weather coming.  

Farro Salad with Artichokes

Serves 6-8, as a side

1 1/2 cups uncooked Farro, cooked according to directions
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp good Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup green beans, *blanched and cut into 1 inch pieces
handful cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/3 cup Feta Cheese
Fresh Parsley, rough chopped

Once the Farro is cooked (read directions - different times for certain Farro), let it cool down in a bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the Olive Oil, Balsamic, Dijon, salt and Garlic.  Set aside.
When the Farro has cooled down, add the artichokes, green beans, tomatoes, green onion,  feta cheese and combine.  Drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle on some Parsley and toss gently.
Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

*Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for only about a minute.  Plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking.  This will keep the beans a bright green and keep them tender crisp.  They shouldn't be cooked until soft.  You want the crunch!