Rich and hearty, this farro soup from Denise Powers demands just as personality-driven a cheese. Emily's choice is bright orange – but not for reasons you'd think! Caroline, meanwhile, goes for a Southern French red with a ton of herbaceousness.Zuppa di farro, farro soup, soup d’épeautre recipe:Ingredients1 c of dried borlotti beans3/4 c of farro (spelt), rinsed3-4 pieces of pancetta (in France, I use lardons in a pinch); vegans can drop this altogether1 carrot, diced1 onion, diced1 branch of celery, diced1 clove of garlic, minced1 fresh sprig of rosemary, minced6 sage leaves, minced 1 good sploosh of tomato paste (if I have those 70 ml cans, I use the whole can; otherwise, a rounded tablespoon)1 pinch of ground cloves2 pinches of ground cinnamona generous grating of fresh nutmeg (a teaspoon)a palmful of dried marjoramsaltolive oil (for cooking)olive oil (for drizzling--optional)Cook the beans until tender in a litre or so of water. You can soak them overnight and then cook the next day for 2-3 hours or cook them in a pressure cooker for about 45 minutes (15-minute slow release). Strain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Puree about half the beans (I use a stick blender or just mash them up until it's mostly mush with some whole beans or bean pieces still recognizable). Set aside.In a heavy-bottomed stock pot, sauté the pancetta in olive oil to render the fat, then cook the veggies, garlic, sage, and rosemary until soft and fragrant, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and blend thoroughly with the veggie mixture, allowing all the flavors to meld for about 5 minutes. Then add the beans and some salt, mixing thoroughly so that it's all a kind of pinkish paste. Cook for a couple more minutes.Add the bean cooking liquid, the dry spices and the marjoram. Stir thoroughly until the mixture has an even consistency. Add water if necessary. Bring to a boil, then reduce the flame to a simmer and add the farro. Cover and cook until the farro is soft, about 30 minutes if you're using pearled farro, closer to an hour if you're using the whole grain version. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a dash of nutmeg and serve with a drizzle of olive oil (infused with pepperoncini for a kick)This is even better the next day when the flavors have had time to set. Add water as necessary to reheat. It also freezes well. Find Us OnlineWebsite: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/cheztoiFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradioInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/CreditsHost: Caroline Conner https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; Website: www.winedinecaroline.com, www.lyonwinetastings.comHost: Emily Monaco https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/emilymonaco; @Emily_in_France. Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com, http://www.emilymmonaco.comProducer: Jennifer Geraghty https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/jenniferfoxgeraghty; @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.comMusic CreditsTheme music by “A Night Alone” by TrackTribehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIcecTd3dTIAbout UsMaybe the best thing to come out of lockdown is the surge in creativity of our home-cooked meals. The Chez Toi podcast wants to take these meals one step further and pair your new creations with the perfect wine and most complementary cheese. Hear from the home cooks themselves as they describe the dish and its inspiration. Then, wine expert Caroline Conner and cheese expert Emily Monaco will work their magic to show you how a simple recipe can be transformed from an every day at-home experience into a gourmet meal chez toi. If you have a recipe you would like to contribute, please email
[email protected]. We would love to hear from you!
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