Grain and Seasonal Vegetable Salad

Grains

1 cup Mount Zero Pearled Farro, toasted
1 cup Mount Zero Wholegrain Freekeh, toasted
6 cups water

Whipped ricotta

1 cup fresh ricotta
1/4 cup Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flake salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Herbs + nuts 

1/2 bunch parsley
1/4 bunch mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped

Sherry vinegar dressing

1 part sherry vinegar
4 parts Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Your favourite vegetables

I like to use blanched asparagus, peas, broad beans, sliced baby carrots, roasted beetroot, radishes, spring onion, pomegranate and currants. You can choose anything you like really.

Grains

Cook until tender, roughly 30 – 45 minutes. Cool.

Whipped ricotta

Place ricotta, salt and pepper in a food processor and run until smooth. Slowly pour in the olive oil while the machine is running. Blend until smooth. Chill.

Sherry vinegar dressing

Whisk until combined.

Assembly

Mix the cold grains with the herbs, almonds, and chopped vegetables. Then dress the salad generously with the sherry vinegar dressing. 

Place the whipped ricotta on a large serving dish and spread out in an even layer, then top with salad. Enjoy as is, or serve next to some grilled meat and flatbread.

A favourite addition of mine is to garnish the salad with some puffed Mount Zero Sorghum which can be made by frying the sorghum quickly in 200°C oil.