Farro “Mac” and Swiss with Broccoli
By Tracey Seaman, Real Food For Healthy Kids
Macaroni and Cheese Against the Grain?
In the late ’60s, when most kids were squirting processed cheese from a can on their fingers, I was melting Swiss cheese on saltines in the toaster oven. My 9-year-old peers thought I was crazy, but to make it worse, I insisted that the cheese be imported from Switzerland. From then on Swiss was my “holy” cheese - one of my ultimate comfort foods in times of both trial and celebration. After all, it’s the stuff of fondue, Alsatian onion tart and grilled cheese on rye. How could American Swiss ever compete? Imagine my excitement last fall when I was handed a sample of extreme Emmentaler produced in Wisconsin - made at a creamery dedicated to sustainable agriculture. I knew I could die in peace!
Bruce Workman’s Edelweiss Creamery Emmentaler is nutty, firm and rich, and made of milk from happy cows in our country’s heartland. I’ve met the people and the cows. To me, all considered, it was way better than the import - just think of the things I could create from such a treasure. The typical could be exalted to majestic proportions.
Macaroni and Cheese is one of those American staples with mixed connotations for me - I think of that hideous box stuff with repulsive orange powder that, by the way, my mom never made. That is the stuff kids should be kept away from! Thankfully, mac and cheese has endless possibilities, and not too long ago I tasted a crazy good one from my pal Melissa Clark, who often writes for the New York Times. She made a whole grain version for Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine featuring farro in place of the traditional macaroni, sharp Cheddar and plenty of bacon. It was another moment of inspiration-the kind that makes me grateful for my strange and wonderful career path.
Farro is an ancient Italian whole-wheat grain, a complex carb rich in protein. You rinse and simmer it until it is delightfully chewy. Farro shines in salads and warm vegetable dishes. Once I tried it, I couldn’t wait to incorporate it into a casserole.
Since I have a motto regarding cheese in general, which is that the more vegetables you eat, the more cheese you can have, I decided to embrace farro, forego any meat, and load on the broccoli. Edelweiss’s sublime Emmentaler seemed a natural in the mix. The result was a dish of many favorite things, old and new: tender broccoli, chewy farro, and a creamy sauce enhanced with incredible Swiss. I made it first for Thanksgiving, and it received rave reviews, but it is the kind of dish you can be grateful for anytime there is a chill in the air.
Farro “Mac” and Swiss with Broccoli
Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish
Ingredients:
2/3 cup farro, rinsed with cold water
1 bunch broccoli (1 pound), cut into bite-size florets; stalks peeled and cut in ¼-inch
thick slices (about 4 cups)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 large shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
12 ounces (3 packed cups) Wisconsin Emmentaler Swiss Cheese* (preferably
Edelweiss), shredded and divided
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Directions:
Lightly butter a 2 1/2-quart shallow oval casserole (8×12-inches). Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the farro and simmer until tender but chewy, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Rinse the saucepan and then fill halfway with water; bring to a boil, add the broccoli and simmer for 2 minutes, until bright green and still crisp. Drain the broccoli and rinse with cold water until cool and add to the farro in the bowl.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often until tender, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the milk and then gradually whisk into the shallot; stirring constantly with the whisk. Cook until the sauce is boiling and thick, about 6 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of cheese, and when melted, pour mixture over the farro and broccoli, mixing well to combine. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake the casserole for about 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. While the casserole bakes make the crumb topping: melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter with the garlic in a skillet over medium heat, and then cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Crumble in the thyme and add the Panko, and stir until the crumbs are toasted, about 5 minutes; let cool.
Stir the remaining cup of cheese into the crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the casserole and bake 5 minutes more, until nicely browned. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
*You may substitute Swiss Cheese for Emmentaler.
Labels: Edelweiss Creamery, Emmentaler, Macaroni & Cheese, Recipe, Swiss, Wisconsin Cheese
