My farrow was confiscated coming home through customs. We can't bring in any grains. While we are in the early stages of growing spelt in Australia, all of it is milled to make bread. Around four months ago, I was advised that they expected sufficient surplus next year to be able to sell the grain. Now the drought looks like setting us back several years. I can't wait that long.

Is it possible to make the farrow salad with a substitution of perhaps whole wheat and barley? Say for a salad like we had in the mountains behind Lucca...with finely diced mortadella, mozzarella, potato, carrot and herbs?

Sure you can, it is similar to barley, farro to me is a little nuttier and hold up better for salads.
In America is it also called Spelt and is sold in bulk in health food stores, tons of it is produced in Canada.

Try my Farro salad called Chicchi that I learned in Umbria.
It is good even without the truffle oil!

Judy
Divina Cucina

Florence
Everyone should try being Italian at least once a day!!

Try with wheat grains.
Farro is the ancient wheat.

Carlo's Apartments in Florence

Not sure if it's the same in Strine, but buckwheat (It.: frumentone) may make another good substitute; it's readily available here in Eastern European import stores, cheap of course, as "kasha", a staple of that area's diet.

Bill

Gold Mine in San Diego is a mail order natural foods (Macrobiotic) store that I use to buy high quality grains (they have organic and some heirloom). They sell Spelt. I think this is very similar to Farro - an ancient wheat.
http://www.goldminenaturalfood.com/

Pauline from Slow Travelers

Patty and I, along with Pauline and Steve were lucky enough to taste Judy's Chicchi salad when she brought it to the dinner we had earlier at our home. Delicious.

Orzo is another product you might try. It's like a barley and is used quite frequently in soups or salads in our area.

Bill & Patty Sutherland
Tuscan Women Cook
Montefollonico, Italy

Thanks everyone.

Bill, I'm amazed!!!!!!!! You know "strine".

Here in St. Louis, I buy Roland brand farro in vacuumed packed 17 oz packages in my local Italian markets and in the Global Foods store. Here is the company's web site. You can type farro in the search box and go to their listing.
Rolandfood.com
Deborah Horn
-----------------------------------
Marketing Solutions for Health Care

I quess the problem was that he couldn't get farro in Australia! and was looking for substitutes there.
Barley (Orzo) works well or any other grain.
For a salad I only partially boil them in a salted water with a splash of olive oil. and then rinse to cool.
then add the other items to my salad.

Judy
Divina Cucina

Florence
Everyone should try being Italian at least once a day!!

I was always under the impression that spelt and farro were slightly different, but I am not sure.

In any case, I would go with barley as the substitute. One reply mentioned Kasha which is roasted buckwheat grains. While quite delicious, it would be a totally different flavor profile from farro.

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

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One reply mentioned Kasha which is roasted buckwheat grains. While quite delicious, it would be a totally different flavor profile from farro.

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I'll second that. I grew up eating kasha varnishkes and kasha is pretty different than farro -- nuttier?

David, usually in NYC

David...
I can make a pretty good version made with just a touch of olive oil........ Heart healthy Jewish food is a huge challenge. There is simply no way to go to Katz's without a guilty conscience. Russ and Daughter for a little gifelte maybe..... but a greasy Ruben is a rare treat indeed!

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

I want to make a farro, diced apple and walnut salad like I had at Oliveto last winter, but can't remember the combining ingredient! I'm thinking it was olive oil, but somehow that doesn't sound right with those ingredients ... Ideas, anyone?

Diva - thanks for the Chicchi recipe - it's next on my list!

Colleen in California

Frankly, I make the same things with farro and whole wheat grains. I don't need to soak the farro, though. I can, as I did yesterday, but then it cooks in no time flat. I am a lover of cooked whole grains.
The wheat I have was rescued when my neighbor spilled a pile he grew for his animals. I soak it over night or all day then boil it. I treat it like beans.
I make soups and salads with it. I am thinking about adding cooked grains to bread next time I make it.
I think barley/orzo is quite different, and I like that too.
Like beans, I do not season with anything until almost cooked. It seems to make the skins better.

Colleen, I'd infuse some mint with olive oil and dress the salad with that. Could even finely dice some pecorino fresco to add along with apple and walnut.

Judith, I ended up having to make my salad with Barley instead of Farro, because Australian quarantine won't allow it's importation. Farro crops in Australia had been on the increase prior to our drought, which saw productivity of all grains halved this year. Here's hopeing, because farro is unique in texture as much as flavour, to my taste buds anyway!

I have a great recipe for bread using ground farro and whole grains of barley, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. No kneading required, just mixed with a little liquid and yeast. You could add any number of grains and seeds to taste. I will track it down in the next couple of days and send to you direct.

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Could even finely dice some pecorino fresco to add along with apple and walnut.

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Oh, Gavin - what a good idea! One of my (many ) weaknesses is cheese.

But in reading back over this topic, now I'm confused about orzo. I thought it was a pasta? Regardless, I have a great recipe for an orzo, garlic, parsley and lemon salad. I'll try to locate it today to share.

Colleen in California

Colleen ... sorry I missed you.. to crazy over the holidays!

There is an orzo shaped pasta!!!

I adore mint infused oil, My friend Gianni at Casa del vino makes it ans served it drizzled on fresh cheeses..incredible!

Cooking in Florence
www.divinacucina.com