Parsley and mint are growing exceptionally well in the garden right now and the parsley was starting to get overgrown; so, I wanted to make a dish that allowed me to use it before it flowered.  I find that once it gets to that stage, the flavor is very pungent and I like it a little on the milder side.  Tabbouleh is a classic Middle Eastern salad that is traditionally made with bulgur wheat, chopped parsley and mint, but I wanted to try it using farro, which I have dubbed my Favorite Whole Grain of 2013. The cooked texture of farro reminds me of barley–it’s a little chewy and nutty, and it’s great in salads or cooked into soups.  I’ve even seen it made into a risotto, or, “farrotto”, more accurately.  I usually cook it in chicken or vegetable stock, which gives it even more flavor.  This was a very simple, healthy salad and can be made vegan by simply using vegetable stock or water to cook the grains in.  Let me just say that I’m looking forward to the day (hopefully soon) that I can make this salad entirely from the tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs in my garden (I’d add lemon to that list, but let’s be realistic about that baby tree).

I buy farro from the bulk section in Whole Foods Market.  Make sure that you get “pearled” farro, as that drastically shortens the cooking and prep time.  Non-pearled farro requires overnight soaking.  For the tomatoes, I mixed one half pint of grape tomatoes and one half pint of round yellow “sunburst” tomatoes.  My favorite, however, is a mixture of mini-heirloom tomatoes that I’ve found at Trader Joe’s.  The colors are so beautiful.  I chose Persian cucumbers because of the small seeds and the fact that the skins aren’t bitter and don’t need to be peeled.

Extreme Closeup: note the size of the chopped vegetables