Last year my New Year's resolution was to eat more whole grains. While I might have purchased more whole grains, I'm not sure I really ate more with the exception of brown rice. Once I learned that brown rice, which takes forever to cook, could be frozen after it was cooked I made double batches and that made it easier to incorporate into my diet.
This year I am going to do much better. How can I be so sure? Because I have the latest book from Lorna Sass, Whole Grains Every Day Every Way. This book is a perfect whole grain primer where you can learn about grains like amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, quinoa and more. Did you know that amaranth was available whole, in flakes, puffed and in flour? I didn't.
In addition to photos of the recipes there are also photos of the grains themselves which is helpful for those times when you forget to label a jar and find yourself with "mystery grain". Recipes are divided into stand-alone soups and salads, main courses, side dishes, breakfasts, desserts and baked goods.
Surprisingly for a book on whole grains, many of the recipes are not vegetarian. Very few of the recipes sound like something you would find in a crunchy health food cookbook that emphasizes health over taste. The seasonings and ingredients are readily available, with the exception of some of the grains themselves. Fortunately mail-order sources are listed in the back of the book. I have a feeling most of the grains would be available at health food stores in the Bay Area.
Farro Soup with Kale and Cannellini
serves 6 - 8