By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 2 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(187)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The balsamic cherries are great with this pilaf, but they’d also be good as an accompaniment to meats.
Featured in: A Cherry Jubilee
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 8ounces cherries
- 1tablespoon butter
- 2tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1cup farro
- 1quart water or stock
- Salt to taste
- 1tablespoon butter (optional)
- 1 to 2teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
For the Balsamic Cherries
For the Pilaf
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
162 calories; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 548 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
Step
1
Pit the cherries and cut in half.
Step
2
Heat a medium or large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. When the foam subsides, add the cherries and sauté for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir until it evaporates, which should take no more than 1 minute. Transfer the cherries immediately to a bowl so that they don’t overcook or overcaramelize. Set aside.
Step
3
To cook the farro, place in a bowl or saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 1 hour, then drain. Return to the pot and add 1 quart water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until the wheat berries have begun to splay. Drain through a strainer and return the farro to the pot. Place a towel across the top of the saucepan and return the lid. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Step
4
Uncover the farro and stir in the thyme, butter and cherries. Add pepper to taste, and serve.
Tip
- Advanced preparation: Cooked farro will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and freezes well. Reheat and proceed with Step 4. The balsamic cherries will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator but are best when freshly made.
Ratings
4
out of 5
187
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Gerry
Juieezee , you have not yet cooked this dish and you agree that it sounds "good" and yet you suggest changes that create an entirely different flavour profile and dish. As I write, the farro from a local farmers' market is in the cooking process, the cherries are ready and the dish will be my offering at a family gathering this evening. The cherries by the way cost under $1.00 . Nothing complicated about it.
M Mimura
Add celery & slivered almonds; serve over arugula w/ balsamic vinaigrette with Rosé.
Allison
Although this is good as it is, I added a little chopped flat leaf parsley and a little lemon juice and thought that brightened it up some. It was good with salmon.
KathZ
The photo put me in mind of a salad, so on a recent steamy night I made this as a cold salad rather than a hot pilaf. I chilled the farro and cherries separately before mixing, in hopes of not turning the salad purple. For the same reason, I held back my addition of chevre until just before serving. A light lemon vinaigrette provided some tang and moisture, though next time I would also cook the farro in chicken stock for added flavor. Nonetheless, very tasty.
Gerry
Following my earlier note written while preparing the dish, I want to add that the completed dish was the hit of the gathering according to both adults and teenage boys. I doubled the recipe to serve 9 and there wasn't a grain left in the bowl. The thyme (I used fresh) adds a a real flavour boost. Definitely will be a summer standby. Thank you!
LM Myers
My version substituted Lundberg Wild Blend rice for farro (wheat intolerance). I cook the cup of rice with a bay leaf and half a stick of cinnamon--complements the herby-earthiness, adds depth. Olive oil instead of butter made it friendly for the dairy-allergic toddler. Lemon juice for dimension, sliced almonds for pleasant crunch and nutrition, and plenty of salt because. I tossed in arugula one day, baby kale the next. Nice on a hot day! And the kid made happy sounds while munching.
M Mimura
We loved it! I soaked the farro (from Whole Foods) as directed for 1 hour and it was fully cooked in 15 minutes. I served it over a bed of arugula with balsamic vinaigrette.
juleezee
Sounds good, but is unnecessarily complicated. There is organic farro to be had in any grocery store, it cooks in about 15 minutes straight up in water or broth, resulting in a nutty, crunchy grain. Fresh cherries are quite expensive and I'd reserve them for eating out of hand. Perhaps this dish could be made with dried tart cherries, plumped in balsamic and drained. I'd add a few more spices to the farro, such as a dash of cinnamon or allspice, a grating of nutmeg and a little cumin, no thyme.
Linda
Pressure cooking Farro takes 10 minutes of high pressure with normal pressure release in a a stovetop pc . 1 cup of Farro to 2.5 cups water. No pre-soak necessary.
Janet H.
Try making the dish first before coming up with alternatives - thoughts without experience in actually preparing the dish are not helpful to the group
Beverly Miller
Yum. I boiled the farro for 10 minutes, then covered it to steam for ten minutes. The fresh thyme gave it an amazingly wonderful taste that fit the cherries well. And, yes, cherries are pricey though less so at this time of year. To make it for two people cost about $1 in cherries, well worth it for the special taste of this dish. Easy to make and really really good! A true winner.
eleni
can't wait to make this since I love the nutty taste and the more substantial bite of farro ! on the cooking time, like barley, some farro is pearled and takes less time to cook.
my 2 cents regarding the use of the expression wheat berry in the recipe: similar to how the word "grain" is used to denote individual pieces of rice, "berry" is a word used to denote the individual pieces of wheat. since farro is a type of wheat, describing each piece as a berry is completely appropriate (imho).
Elizabeth Barry, Canada
Yes just make it and taste it first, before altering and advising...
Laurie Dickerson
I served it as a room-temp side dish with lime vinaigrette, and added toasted pecans (almonds would be good too) and thinly sliced scallions along with the fresh thyme.
janisani
made as a cold salad for a potluck. lightly dressed farro, arugula, and watercress with a lemon and olive oil viniagrette. cherries turned out very nice-be sure to use a large skillet so they don't end up steaming. mine were glossy and glazed. this dish looks so pretty!
Kathleen
This was SO good! I was in a pinch needing to bring a side dish to a friend's house for dinner. I had cherries & farro. I didn't have balsamic so I followed some recommendations online and substituted apple cider vinegar, a little grape jelly, and soy sauce. I also didn't have fresh thyme so used dry. Even with my modifications, it turned out incredible and got rave reviews! It was so easy and hands off. I will be making again, hopefully with the correct ingredients next time!
LL
Really different and refreshing. Made it as directed but did add 1 T balsamic glaze to cherries and per the suggestions of other some celery. Went well with our grilled pork chops.
Paige
Made with wild rice instead of farro and paired with Sam Sifton's Sauteed Scallops.The pilaf certainly benefited from generous helpings of herbs and salt and pepper, but the finished product felt luxurious and was said to taste "restaurant-worthy." A winner!
Brad
Huge hit at my dinner table.Couple things:1) the balsamic didn't evaporate even after 2 minutes?2) I cooked my Farro my usual 20 minutes in boiling water, drained. Can someone please explain the benefit of the more involved method in the recipe?
Deborah VC
Made this tonight as a side for salmon patties. I used more thyme than called for, and added parsley and chopped walnuts. I thought it was good but lacked something. I think I’ll add a bit of lime vinaigrette to the leftovers as someone suggested.
Linda
Pressure cooking Farro takes 10 minutes of high pressure with normal pressure release in a a stovetop pc . 1 cup of Farro to 2.5 cups water. No pre-soak necessary.
Bicka
Didn't have fresh thyme so added to butter used to sauté the cherries to infuse the butter. Followed my farro instructions for cooking (pearled farro has a shorter cook time and doesn't need soaking). I found that if you don't get a cherry in each bite the dish is only so so. Next time, I will add shallots to the cherry sauté to add more depth and complexity to the dish. I also would increase the number of cherries and might chop them so that the flavor is more evenly distributed.
M Mimura
Add celery & slivered almonds; serve over arugula w/ balsamic vinaigrette with Rosé.
Allison
Although this is good as it is, I added a little chopped flat leaf parsley and a little lemon juice and thought that brightened it up some. It was good with salmon.
M Mimura
We loved it! I soaked the farro (from Whole Foods) as directed for 1 hour and it was fully cooked in 15 minutes. I served it over a bed of arugula with balsamic vinaigrette.
ottovon
awful, sad to say. the farro was overcooked at 30 minutes, and the recipe tasted entirely of butter. i used, btw, real, traditional(old) balsamic, and terrific cherries, and followed recipe exactly. DO NOT COOK AGAIN
Karen
Just made this over the weekend. Cherries no longer in season here, so used frozen--too much liquid. Cooking it off changed the texture. The suggestion for dried tart cherries would be better. Also, my farro was overcooked following directions. Would try it again, with modifications.
Bunnee
I used a wild rice/farro blend with chicken stock. I also used a black cherry balsamic. Served with roast chicken and it was great. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The whole recipe was pretty straightforward and cooked while the chicken was in the oven.
LM Myers
My version substituted Lundberg Wild Blend rice for farro (wheat intolerance). I cook the cup of rice with a bay leaf and half a stick of cinnamon--complements the herby-earthiness, adds depth. Olive oil instead of butter made it friendly for the dairy-allergic toddler. Lemon juice for dimension, sliced almonds for pleasant crunch and nutrition, and plenty of salt because. I tossed in arugula one day, baby kale the next. Nice on a hot day! And the kid made happy sounds while munching.
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