No stories today. Spring allergies are crushing me. My eyes are streaming, I'm sneezing, and I can barely see this screen. But I had to get this recipe out the door because it's way too good not to share.
The flip side to spring allergies is spring produce. And this dish is spring in a bowl. The farro is chewy, mustardy and bright with lemon, and the asparagus and spinach get a lift from fresh dill. Then everything is topped with a crispy, runny fried egg, perfect for a meatless Monday or Sunday brunch.
Happy almost spring everyone!
Farro with Crispy Egg, Asparagus, Spinach and Dill
Yield: 2-4
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 30 min
Ingredients
1 cup farro
3 cups water
1/2 small shallot, minced (1-2 tsp)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2" lengths
2 eggs
2 large handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 tsp roughly chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper
olive oil
Heat water and a large pinch of salt in medium saucepan til boiling. Stir in farro, turn down heat to a simmer, and cook 20 minutes til tender.
Meanwhile, mix together shallots, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl.
About 3 minutes before farro is done, place a steamer insert over the top of the pot. Add asparagus and cover to steam cook. If you don't have a steamer, just add directly to farro in pot. It should cook for about 3 minutes.
Heat a glug of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat, then crack both eggs into pan to fry. Cook about 3 minutes, until whites are set, yolks are still runny, and bottoms are crispy and browned. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and remove from heat.
Once asparagus is bright green, remove from heat and drain the farro. Pour the farro and asparagus back into the pot and gently mix in spinach and dill. Spinach will wilt slightly from the heat.
Whisk 1 Tbs olive oil into lemon mixture, then season to taste with about 1/2 tsp salt. Pour the dressing over farro mixture and gently stir to combine.
To serve, place some of the farro mixture in a bowl and top with a crispy fried egg.
