Arugula & Farro Salad

I had this salad a few weeks ago at a friend's house for lunch and couldn't stop thinking about it. After a few days I made it myself and have since made it 2 more times. It is that delicious. It is the perfect early summer salad and can easily be served as a side dish or main course. You're going to want to make this. Recipe is adapted slightly and is served nightly at Charlie Bird, which I now want to visit ASAP.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup farro
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
70 grams Parmesan cheese, shaved
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
3 cups arugula leaves
1 cup basil and/or parsley leaves, torn
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced radish
Flaky sea salt for finishing

In a medium saucepain, bring farro, apple cider, vinegar, salt, bay leaves, plus 2 cups of water to a simmer. Simmer until farro is tender and liquid evaporates, about 30 minutes. Let farro cool, then discard the bay leaves.

In a large salad bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Add the cooled farro, parmesan and pistachio nuts and mix well. This salad base will keep for up to 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before serving). Just before serving gently fold in the arugula, fresh herbs, tomatos, radish, and flaky sea salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Classic Scones with Clotted Cream

In honor of The Royal Wedding I woke up early this morning to tune into the broadcast and made traditional English scones while I watched the Prince and now Duchess tie the knot. English scones differ from American scones- they are less dense and some describe them as "dreamy" and "pillowy." Also, they are traditionally served with clotted cream and jam. I made my own clotted cream this time and it was outstanding. Although these would be great slathered with any of your favorite toppings (jams, butter, honey, etc.), the traditional toppings are the best. This recipe uses cake flour, which certainly adds to the pillowy texture. I've heard that they come out well with all purpose flour, but if you have cake flour, I recommend you use it. BONUS: they come together incredibly quickly, are so buttery, and melt in your mouth. I highly recommend them. Recipe by Mark Bittman.

SCONE INGREDIENTS
2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar, separated
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1/2 cup (plus more) heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Pour the flour, salt, baking powder, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the egg and the heavy cream and mix just until sticky dough is formed. If the dough is too dry add a splash of cream and if the dough is too wet add a bit more flour. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle 3/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut into circles or hand cut into whatever shapes you want (wedges, squares work well). Brush a bit more cream on top of each scone and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbs of sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Serve with your favorite jams and clotted cream.

CLOTTED CREAM
There are different ways to make clotted cream if you cannot find it in a specialty grocery store nearby. The traditional way is by heating heavy cream for a long time (12 hours) at a very low temperature in your oven (180 degrees F) and then refrigerating for a while and then separating the clotted cream from the whey. You can find that method by clicking here. Alternatively, if you don't have 24 hours to properly make clotted cream, you can make a non-traditional, but very delicious version, nonetheless, by mixing a few easy-to-find dairy products. Find that recipe here.