A very hot day

I can’t believe it! Four days ago, it was pouring rain, and now it is hideously hot. Rebecca told me that in the afternoon it was 94. My bedroom was an appalling 103. I took many cold showers throughout the day. Poor Margaret was looking truly pathetic, so I let (actually “forced” would be a more accurate term) her run in the sprinkler to cool off. She was remarkably unenthusiastic, but seemed much more comfortable afterward. I just hate hot weather.

I was having computer issues, so Ana came over after work to help me with them, to untangle a hank of yarn, to watch a movie, and of course to have dinner. I had a carefully selected hot day dinner, and it turned out better than I could have imagined. I started it in the morning when it was still reasonably cool. When I first tasted the faro dish, it was too sour, but after sitting around for several hours, it mellowed and was delicious. This was the first time I had ever cooked faro, so I was excited about that. Oops! I just searched this blog for the story of first time I every ate faro, and I see that I actually did cook it once before. So I must amend that and say that this is the first time I cooked it when it came out as I expected it to. I served it with a melon salad, and it was just the ticket.

This can be made ahead, and is good served at room temperature.

Faro Salad

2 cups of faro, soaked for several hours
3 cups vegetable broth
10 baby carrots
15 green French beans
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 T vinegar
2 nectarines, sliced
6 small tomatoes, sliced
handful of coriander and parsley
thyme – 1 T fresh, or 1 tsp dried
2 green onions, chopped
freshly ground pepper
fresh mozzarella

Soak the faro in a quart of water for several hours. Drain it, and using your handy pressure cooker, cook in the vegetable broth at high pressure for about 25 minutes (or cook for 50 minutes in a conventional pot.)

Cut the carrots into thin strips, and trim the French beans. Blanch them together in a quart of boiling water for about a minute. Rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking further. Saute for another minute (or less) in olive oil, and stir in about a tablespoon of lemon juice, some salt and pepper. Set aside.
Zest and juice the lemon. Stir them into the faro, along with about a tablespoon nice wine vinegar. Add salt and a generous amount of pepper.
Chop the parsley and cilantro, and toss in, along with the thyme and chopped green onion. Just before serving, add the nectarines and tomato slices. Top with slices of fresh mozzarella.

This recipe is based on one from 101 Cookbooks, a very favorite recipe site.