Farro, Mushroom, Cabbage Salad with Poached Egg and Spiced Apple Syrup Dressing

Kari’s Winter Farro Salad

  • Kari’s Winter Farro Salad
  • Kari’s Winter Farro Salad
  • Kari’s Winter Farro Salad
  • Kari’s Winter Farro Salad
  • Kari’s Winter Farro Salad
  • Kari’s Winter Farro Salad

NOTES

This recipe calls for Morris Kitchen Syrups, a specialty item available at gourmet food stores, or online. You can make your own infused syrups but I suggest you try Morris Kitchen’s first. This is potentially a main course salad. If you are doing this as a main course, I suggest 1 cup of Farro for two people. Adjust accordingly for more. 

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse and drain farro. Add farro and broth to a saute pan or saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, covered until tender to the bite, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, drain any excess liquid, and allow to cool.

White the farro cooks, dice your apple, coarsely chop parsley, and slice cabbage as thin as possible, using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Combine ingredients in large bowl.

Sauté mushrooms with a generous amount of olive oil until tender, about 4 minutes. Add to farro, toss to combine. Grate Pecorino cheese into the farro, add salt and pepper to taste (careful, Pecorino is salty). I suggest using about 1/3 cup of the cheese so you don’t overpower the dish, but if you are in the mood for more, go for it.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing and whisk olive oil in until emulsified. Dress the salad, toss to combine, sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add 1 tbs vinegar  and 1 tsp salt (white vinegar is customary but cider vinegar is fine if that is all you have). Crack egg into the center of the water gently. You can even crack the egg into a small cup first and slide it into the water gingerly. Make sure the water does not come back up to a boil, and I suggest doing this one egg at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes for a runny center.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and place gently on a paper towel to soak up extra water.

Plate farro mixture, top with poached egg, and pile up the salad very last. Shave a few pieces of cheese on top and a few leaves of parsley for garnish. Serve immediately so egg stays runny and warm.

RECIPE

DIFFICULTY

MODERATE

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SERVES

4

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PREP TIME

35 MINS

Salad

  • 1 
    cup 
    farro
  • 3 
    cups 
    broth or water if you don't have broth
  • 1  
     
    sweet apple (gala, pink lady etc.)
  • 2 
    tbs 
    flat leaf parsley
  • 1 
    tbs 
    grated Pecorino cheese
  • 1 
    small bunch 
    Beech mushrooms
  • 1/4 
     
    red cabbage
  • 4 
     
    eggs
  • 1 
    tbs 
    white vinegar
  • 1 
    tsp 
    salt

Dressing

  • 1 
    tbs 
    Morris Kitchen Spiced Apple Syrup
  • 1 
    tbs 
    Apple Cider vinegar
  • 1 
    tbs 
    Dijon mustard
  • 1 
    tbs 
    olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse and drain farro. Add farro and broth to a saute pan or saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, covered until tender to the bite, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, drain any excess liquid, and allow to cool.

White the farro cooks, dice your apple, coarsely chop parsley, and slice cabbage as thin as possible, using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Combine ingredients in large bowl.

Sauté mushrooms with a generous amount of olive oil until tender, about 4 minutes. Add to farro, toss to combine. Grate Pecorino cheese into the farro, add salt and pepper to taste (careful, Pecorino is salty). I suggest using about 1/3 cup of the cheese so you don’t overpower the dish, but if you are in the mood for more, go for it.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing and whisk olive oil in until emulsified. Dress the salad, toss to combine, sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add 1 tbs vinegar  and 1 tsp salt (white vinegar is customary but cider vinegar is fine if that is all you have). Crack egg into the center of the water gently. You can even crack the egg into a small cup first and slide it into the water gingerly. Make sure the water does not come back up to a boil, and I suggest doing this one egg at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes for a runny center.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and place gently on a paper towel to soak up extra water.

Plate farro mixture, top with poached egg, and pile up the salad very last. Shave a few pieces of cheese on top and a few leaves of parsley for garnish. Serve immediately so egg stays runny and warm.

Kari Morris is the brains, the face and the co-creator of Morris Kitchen, a specialty syrup company she and her brother started in 2009. Kari and I met at a friend’s Passover dinner one year ago, and since then, I have seen her flavor-infused syrup everywhere. It occurred to me that these syrups, most often used in speciality cocktails, would be an excellent addition to a salad dressing. Turns out, Kari uses them in the kitchen all the time.

As Kari and I chatted, I learned that she too is an artist; she studied painting at CCAC in San Francisco. After school, Kari  realized that her true passion was food and beverage and that her artistic energy could be put to good use by creating a beautiful, consumable product. In 2008-2009 she and her brother began cooking together, and made their first ginger syrup. The rest is history.

Kari has not let her entrepreneurial success get in the way of her initial love of cooking. She makes gorgeous staff meals in the office everyday, a testament to what can be done with a toaster oven, a hot plate and a little inspiration. She even poached the egg for this one, something I need courage to attempt even in the comfort of my own home.

Kari in Her Own Words

Julia: What does the kitchen provide that the studio does not?

Kari: A delicious meal, something to share easily with others.

Julia: You cooked these two elaborate salads in the office. Do you eat like this every work day?

Kari: We cook staff meal everyday at work. It’s an opportunity to step away from the computer and whatever else may be going on. Our simple set-up provides endless opportunities. We started posting the good ones on Instagram #mkstaffmeal

Julia: What was the inspiration for your salad?

Kari: I have a tendency to cook with an excess of ingredients, so I decided to limit myself to 5 ingredients, and incorporate our syrups.