Planning (and Planting) for Spring

For those of us in the storm-battered Northeast, where mountains of dirty snow are now part of our landscape, and walking down some sidewalks can still be a challenge, it is difficult to imagine that Spring will soon be here.

But Spring WILL arrive on March 21. Whether “Spring” weather will coincide with the date is another question.

But gardeners are a hopeful bunch, and the gray snow doesn’t keep them down. Many are sketching out their plans for the yard or the vegetable garden, dreaming of colorful blooms and juicy tomatoes to come. 

The most industrious have started their first plants indoors under grow lights.

Some of you know that last year I became a CT Certified Master Gardener.

My mentor, Rachel Ziesk, now a Certified Advanced Master Gardener, was my guide through the process.

On February 17, Rachel began her indoor planting. She also started a blog, “Organic Gardening,” in which she has been clearly outlining each step of her planting process — from what you need for a set up to when to start your different seeds.

Most days she has been making a short post, accompanied by a photo, explaining just what (and what not) to do when starting seedlings on your own. Her first seedlings came up on Tuesday. Yesterday the topic was how to avoid the fungal disease “damping off.”

Check it out. And be sure to tell all your gardening friends about this very fine blog.

Meatless Monday: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro

Last Monday, at the conclusion of my post on Farro (Triticum dicoccum), I promised you a recipe if you came back today. And here it is — my original recipe for 

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro

(Serves Two)

INGREDIENTS

1 Acorn Squash

Olive Oil (for brushing on the Squash)

1/2 cup Farro

1/4 cup Pecan pieces

Handful of dried Cranberries

1/2 teaspoon of a flavorful Spice Blend 

[I used Penzey’s Balti seasoning which is a blend of 18 spices] 

2 ounces of Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded 

PREPARATION

Cook the Farro. 

• This will take 45 minutes if preparing Farro purchased in bulk. [I used Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro, a slight cheat. The Farro comes from Italy, pre-cooked using steam to preserve the nutrients while saving time for the consumer. Total prep time with this product is only 15 minutes.] 
• After the Farro has cooked, remove the pot lid, throw the Pecans and Cranberries on top of the Farro, and replace the lid. Let everything rest for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the Spice Blend.

Bake the Squash.
Preheat Oven to 350°F

• Cut Acorn Squash in half; remove the seeds. 
• Brush the inside of the Squash with Olive Oil.

• Turn halves upside down onto a metal pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the Squash from the oven.
• Turn the halves right side up and place in individual ramekins or together in a casserole dish for baking. Be careful when doing this; the Squash will be juicy, and the liquid is very hot.

Stuff and Finish.

• Fill the Squash cavities with the Farro mixture.

With and without cheese.

• Top with the Cheese.
• Bake 15 more minutes. Cheese will be melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro is a very nutritious meal. According to the information on the package, one serving of Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro contains 10% of required daily fiber, 1% calcium, 5% iron, and 5 grams of protein. The Pecans and Cheese add more protein, and Acorn Squash is particularly rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce makes an excellent accompaniment. Cranberry Sauce is one of the easiest things in the world to make. You can read all you ever wanted to know about cranberries and how to cook them here. Cranberries are also one of the easiest foods to store for future use. When they go on sale in October, buy a few extra bags and throw them into your freezer where they will keep indefinitely.

Happy Monday. Have a great week. You might want to stay away from those IKEA meat balls today and everyday… 

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Farro, Italy’s Ancient Grain

Farro (Triticum dicoccum) is a grain in the wheat family that has been cultivated in high altitude regions of Italy for centuries. This ancient grain made its appearance in ground-breaking restaurants on both coasts in the late 1990s. The New York Times Garden Section first wrote about farro in 1997. 

Traditional farro dishes include hearty soups, puddings, and “farrottos,” that are prepared like risotto. Farro also shines as lighter fare in a summer salad with tomatoes.

Highly resistant to disease, farro is typically grown without pesticides and fertilizers. It is rich in fiber (20% DV in one serving), magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E, and is high in protein (6 grams per serving). Since farro is low in gluten and easily digested, it can be eaten by some who are gluten intolerant. 

According to information from the University of Florence cited in the Times article, “Farro is an ancient, unhybridized grain used for thousands of years in North Africa and the Middle East, where farro kernels have been found in Egyptian tombs. During the height of the Roman Empire, farro was used as a primary food and probably even as money.” 

The il Farro restaurant site, which promotes and sells farro products, provides extensive information on every topic concerning farro. According to il Farro, the grain requires special machinery for cultivation and milling, and the per acre yield is 1/3 that of wheat. Thus, fewer acres are devoted to farro, and farro’s price is relatively high. 

Most of the world’s farro comes from two regions in central Italy — Umbria and The Marches, from which many in New Haven’s Italian-American community are descended. 

However, Bluebird Grain Farms in the state of Washington has been growing organic emmer, another name for Triticum dicoccum, for over 30 years. Bluebird Grain’s emmer comes from Rwandan seed from the World Seed Bank.

Caveat emptor; there are “false farros” with which Triticum dicoccum is sometimes confused. Faricella is one; spelt is another. While less expensive, they lack true farro’s nutty taste, and take hours to prepare. Il Farro’s farro comes from the Monterosso Farm in The Marches which strictly adheres to the standards set by the prestigious "Suolo e Salute" Association. Prices from their online store are, well, pricey, but they are guaranteed to be the real thing. Ditto to purchases made on the Bluebird Grain site which offers you the opportunity to buy a 50 lb. bag of emmer ($155.00 + shipping).

Otherwise, follow this tip from an importer quoted in the Times: “look for light brown, cleft grains with subtle white stripes and a little white peeking out of some of the kernels.”

Happy Monday. Have a great week. Come back next Monday for my original farro recipe.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”