Late Thursday afternoon, with guests coming over and chunks of Prather Ranch lamb marinating in the refrigerator (which eventually became succulent grilled lamb kebabs) I zipped over to the SF Ferry Building to grab a couple of bottles of wine and to find some inspiration for side dishes. I had forgotten about the Thursday Night Farmers' Market, already bustling inside the building. Lucky me!
After securing our drinks, I decided to head over to Boulette's Larder, my new favorite shop for hard-to-find spices and prepared ingredients. I had visited them the previous day when searching for sumac, an ingredient in my Middle Eastern lamb marinade (a lemon-herb-onion mixture that they had been been nestled in overnight). When I noticed that they had ready-to-eat steamed farro (a nutty, chewy grain) and beautifully roasted chioggia beets I knew what I would make. Drawing on the gorgeous farro salad served at Pizzaiolo (and previously reminisced about), I headed over to an organic produce stand and found tender baby arugula, crunchy radishes, and a fresh juicy cucumber.
The summer menu, perfect for the warm East Bay evening, turned out to be a raving success: lamb kebabs, creamy Greek yogurt, grilled pita breads, and my new favorite summer salad. The mixture of nutty farro, sweet roasted beets, peppery arugula, crunchy radishes, juicy cucumber, a sprinkle of mint, and lemon was perfection. Creamy crumbled feta would be an excellent addition.
Farro Salad