The sun rose over the dew covered wheat fields near our home on an early Saturday morning a few weeks back. With the promise of clear skies and a high of 70, I hopped out of bed, grabbed my recyclable bags, and headed out the door to our farmer’s market. It was the first weekend they were opened and I was eager to get my hands on some produce.
I had a small list of necessities that I needed for the week but I was also open to trying whatever looked good. As I made my way through rows bright red tomatoes in stacked cartons, bins full of potatoes, and asparagus picked just that morning I got to chatting with each vendor and purchasing whatever they recommended. I was in a daze of excitement over all the fresh herbs and cheese made from cows that lived right down the street. Before I knew it my bags were overflowing with a bounty of produce, most of which I had no set plans for.
Fast forward a couple days and I’m still swimming in vegetables and herbs. Hence, these bowls. I grilled off the rest of the veggies, made a pesto with the herbs, and tossed them with some farro. For some additional protein, I add a soft boiled egg.
This is such a great option when you find yourself with an excess of produce this summer. It’s incredibly versatile and the leftover grilled vegetables make for awesome lunches the following days.
Grilled Vegetable Farro Bowl with Tarragon Basil Pesto
Makes 4 Servings
For the Pesto
- 1/2 Cup Tarragon
- 1/2 Cup Basil
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- Juice from 1/2 Lemon
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- Olive Oil
For the Grilled Vegetables
- 2 Zucchinis, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch planks
- 8 Carrots
- 12 Asparagus Spears
- Olive Oil
- Salt Pepper
For the Bowls
- 1 Cup Farro
- 4 Eggs (Optional)
- 8 Cups Arugula
Get starting by cooking the farro according to the package directions.
Make the pesto by combining all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Pulse to chop the ingredients, then turn your food processor or blender on low and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until everything is brought together.
Turn your grill to medium or if you’re using a grill pan, set it over medium heat. Place the vegetables on a large plate or pan and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Lay the carrots on first since they take the longest and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the carrots then add the asparagus and zucchini on the grill. After 2-3 minutes, flip the asparagus and zucchini. After 2-3 minutes, everything can be removed from the grill.
If you’re serving with eggs, place the eggs in a small pan and add enough water just until the eggs are covered. Place the pan on a burner and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to medium high and allow to simmer for 6 minutes for soft boiled or 10 minutes for hard boiled. Remove from the heat and run cold water over the eggs for a minute then peel immediately.
Combine the farro and vegetables in your bowl and top with tarragon pesto and eggs (if using).
