Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [68]
3 While the soup simmers, make the spicy yogurt topping. Finely grate the lemon half until you have ½ teaspoon zest. Squeeze the fruit to get 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, zest, salt, and cayenne to a small serving bowl and beat with a fork until smooth.
4 To finish, puree the soup with a handheld blender in the saucepan, or in batches in the food processor (use caution with hot liquids!). If using a food processor, return the mixture to the saucepan and gently rewarm over medium heat until bubbles appear just below the surface, stirring a few times. Add ½ teaspoon of the sugar. Taste for salt, pepper, and sugar and adjust. Ladle the soup into deep plates, spoon a generous tablespoon of topping into each, and garnish with parsley. Be sure to swirl the topping into the soup before you dig in.
TO GET A HEAD START: The soup and the topping can be prepared, separately, up to 3 days ahead. Chill, covered. Gently reheat the soup, stirring occasionally. You can also freeze the soup, but not the topping, for up to 1 month.
TO VARY IT: Use blue hubbard squash, or easily available (and ready-cut if you like) chopped butternut squash.
TO LIGHTEN IT UP: In my perfect culinary universe, whole-milk Greek yogurt is a must to bring these simple flavors together. So give it a try before you go lowfat (which, of course, you can).
Mediterranean Mussels with Farro and White Wine
Pleasingly chewy farro and tender-sweet mussels are culinary siblings of sorts. Both share a rewarding lip-smacking plumpness, which makes them a perfect match in this easy one-pot stew. Don’t let the length of the ingredients list keep you from giving it a try—this straightforward preparation is on the table fast. Serve with a crusty baguette to mop up the intensely flavorful, wine-infused mussel juices and extra olive oil to drizzle on top.
The wine you use does not have to be expensive. Even a downright basic bottle can result in a fruity and aromatic sauce. I prefer smaller, wild-caught mussels, which typically cook in just under 3 minutes. Cultivated mussels might take 5 to 8 minutes. For more on varieties of farro. SERVES 3 OR 4 AS A LIGHT MAIN COURSE, OR 4 TO 6 AS A STARTER
FARRO
1½ cups water
¾ cup farro
1 small bay leaf
2 whole peppercorns
Pinch of fine sea salt
STEW
2 pounds fresh mussels in their shells
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots (about 2 small)
1 cup thinly sliced celery stalks (1 to 2 pieces)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 dried red chile
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ cups dry white wine
1½ cups chopped fresh or diced canned tomatoes with their juices, (one 14-ounce can)
1½ cups water
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
TO FINISH
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 To prepare the farro, bring the water, farro, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the grain is tender but still slightly chewy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, drain any remaining liquid, and set aside.
2 While the farro simmers, rinse the mussels under cold running water, brushing to remove sand and residue on the shells. Remove the beards (hairy clumps around the shell) with tweezers or a sharp knife. Discard chipped mussels. Tap any open mussels and discard if they don’t close. Set the cleaned mussels aside.
3 To make the stew, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until shimmering.