Farro, Sunchoke & Kale Hash

Farro, Sunchoke & Kale Hash

Serves 8-10

Farro, Sunchoke & Kale Hash

Comfort food is rarely healthy or vegetarian.  This is both! It is a soul-satisfying winter hash that combines the crispy crunch of sunchokes, silky oyster mushrooms, meaty cremini mushrooms, tender flavorful kale and chewy nutty farro.  Perfection! It can be served with grilled steak or on its own as the meatless main course.  I have featured several recipes featuring sunchokes, farro and kale individually. This is another but with all of them in the same dish.  How efficient! See links below for my other suggested recipes.

SUNCHOKES:

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/09/sunchoke-soup-with-apples-lentils.html

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012/11/kabocha-squash-with-sunchokes-mushrooms.html (the all time favorite featured on the Huffington Post!)

FARRO

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/10/farro-salad-with-roasted-vegetables.html

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/03/passover-special-pharaoh-farro-with.html

Semi-pearled farro

Sunchoke

Mmmm....leafy kale

Sunchokes, also called Jerusalem artichokes, are a knobby tuber that grows underground, much like a potato. The skin is edible, they do not need to be peeled, simply scrub clean under cold running water, with a stiff brush. They can be eaten raw or cook as you would a potato: roast, boil, sauté, bake or steam. Unlike potatoes they contain little starch. They have a nutty, sweet, crunchy flavor that is simply surprising and wonderful. So don't pass these craggy little roots next time you are in the store.

The food world has really been buzzing lately about farro because of its health properties, its wonderful flavor, and its texture. While the pearled farro is easier and quicker to cook, the many nutrients vanish with the husk, along with a good bit of the flavor. Hence, I much prefer the compromising semi-pearled farro. It is not a wheat, but a plant and grain all its own with low gluten content.  The flavor is complex with nutty taste and undertones of oats and barley.  When cooked it remains its tender, distinct bite, even if it sits awhile after cooking unlike Arborio rice (risotto).

• ¾ C semi-pearled farro
• Water or chicken stock for cooking farro
• 2 ½ lbs large sunchokes, scrubbed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• 1 lb Kale, green, tough stems discarded
• 4 Tb extra virgin olive oil blended with 4 Tb vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
• 1 Tb unsalted butter
• ¼ lb – ½ lb oyster mushrooms, halved if large
• ¼ lb cremini mushrooms, wiped clean with damp cloth, halved if large (if only ¼ oyster mushrooms are used)
• Freshly ground pepper 

Soak farro in water to cover for 25 minutes. Drain, place in a medium saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat until farro is tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain the farro.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the sunchokes with water and add a large pinch of salt. Boil until the sunchokes are tender, about 10 minutes; drain. Slice the sunchokes ¼-inch thick.

Sliced sunchokes

Fill the large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.  Add the kale and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the kale and let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the kale leaves and then coarsely chop them.

In a small skillet, heat 2 Tb of the blended oil. Add the red onion and a pinch of salt and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 12 minutes. The recipe can be made to this point one day in advance.  Refrigerate components separately.

In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter in 2 Tb blended oil. Add the sunchokes in an even layer and cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the sunchokes, reduce the heat to moderately high and continue cooking until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Push the sunchokes to the side of the skillet.

Browned sunchokes

Add 3 Tb of the oil and the oyster and cremini mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the final 1 Tb of oil along with the farro, kale and onion and cook, stirring, until hot. Season with salt and pepper and serve to cheers.

Oyster mushrooms

Mushrooms added to the sunchokes

Bon Appetit!

Larue

adapted from Food & Wine, Jan. 2010