You say to-mey-to, I say to-mah-to…either way, nothing says August quite like the smell and taste of fresh tomatoes straight from the vine. Give your end-of-summer tomatoes a recipe worth growing for with this traditional Farro Summer Salad recipe, one that is bound to take your tastebuds on a mini trip through the sunny hills of Toscana. Buon appetito!

Serves 4-6
1 cup farro (makes about 2½ cups cooked)
2 cups water
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ English cucumber, quartered length-wise and cut into ¼ inch-thick pieces
1 cup mixed olives
1 5oz. package arugula, or about 6 loosely packed cups
½ red onion chopped, or 6 red pearl onions cut into thin rounds

For the dressing:
¼ cup Udo’s Oil 3·6·9 Blend
½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs or 1 tablespoon fresh herbs such as oregano or Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
Juice of one lemon, about 1 tablespoon
Pinch red chili pepper flakes (optional)
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add farro and reduce heat to medium. Cover partially and cook until farro is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and let cool;
2. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper;
3. In a medium bowl, toss the farro, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and onion. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and toss well;
4. Carefully fold in the arugula and transfer to individual plates. Serve immediately.