Farro Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash

After a busy week-end in Tucson visiting family we came home to our quiet little home. My husband grilled pork ribs and I scrounged around in the refrigerator to come up with this delicious salad. The farro I used was the quick cooking kind which I had picked up at Trader Joe's. It has a nutty chewy like taste, similar to barley. Next time I will try the longer to cook whole grain farro as it is supposed to be much more nutritious.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup farro
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 butternut squash
1 small red onion
1 teaspoon thyme
1 ounce goat cheese
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. peel and cut into pieces. Cut red onion into large dice. Spread both on baking sheet in a single layer.Toss with olive oil, some of the fresh thyme and salt.  Bake until tender but still firm. Remove from oven, let cool.

Combine farro, salt and broth in a heavy pot, follow cooking instructions on package. In the meantime, add the balsamic, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl gently toss all the ingredients together. Add goat cheese and vinaigrette. Check seasoning. Enjoy!