Chez Tex’s Farro Salad

The Farro Salad from Venice Beach’s Chez Tex is one of those salads you find yourself craving on a hot summer day when you need something slightly more substantial than just greens. I personally love this salad because of the Mediterranean combination of cucumbers, feta, mint and red onion. It’s both refreshing and nourishing at the same time! Join us as we escape the summer heat and make this salad for our daily lunch and summer dinner parties!

 INGREDIENTS 

½ cup Cooked Farro4 Cherry Tomatoes, halved4 Sunburst Squash, in quarters ½ ounce Red Onion, thinly sliced ½ ounce Cucumbers, cubed½ ounce Radishes, sliced3 Mint Leaves1 ounce Crumbled Feta1 ounce Citrus Vinaigrette

 ASSEMBLY 

1 | Begin by boiling a small pot of water and add salt. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add the farro. 2 | Cook the farro until it is completely open and fluffy (about 15-20 minutes), tasting every now and again to check the texture. 3 | Once it’s done, strain the water and cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.Citrus Vinaigrette:

 INGREDIENTS 

½ cup Orange Juice½ cup Lemon Juice½ cup Lime Juice1 cup Olive Oil

 ASSEMBLY 

1 | Use a saucepan to heat up the orange, lemon and lime juice. Reduce the blend until it is a bit syrupy, and then cool for an hour in the refrigerator. 2 | After it’s cooled, put the dressing in a blender on a low speed and add the oil steadily, little by little. Finish with salt and pepper, to taste.3 | In a bowl, mix all the ingredients (except for the feta cheese) and add the citrus vinaigrette and salt and pepper. Transfer to plate, finish with the crumbled feta and enjoy!*Recipe by Manuel Santizo.