Insufferable

Following hot on the heels of Brad's first spring break, we had Cassie home for her second spring break. We drove to Harrisonburg to spend most of a Sunday with Brad, which included a round of miniature golf at a relatively new course just off I-81. Much to the chagrin of Brad and me, Mom rode the big lead she built with two holes-in-one in the first five holes to a resounding five-stroke victory. Never say that I hide my failures, as here is the proof of Mom's mini-golf superiority (at least on that day):

NB that it was Mom who appended the juvenile nicknames to the scorecard for the first nine holes, thereby betraying her mental age (i.e., five). Mom is, of course, not well known for being a good winner, and she was predictably insufferable for the rest of the day. Oh well, that's what I get for choking on the back nine while Mom coasted to victory, not unlike Tiger Woods intimidating the rest of the field in his Sunday red shirt. On the bright side, Cassie did clue us all in to a new word in the car that day: "manspreading."

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Here is a dish that combines two of my favorite things—farro and mushrooms—so it's not surprising how much I like it. Maybe if I tell Mom it's some kind of new gluten-free grain I'll get to eat it more often.

Farro with Mushrooms and Thyme

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen via the Associated Press

Time: 40 minutes (using pearled farro)

You can use whole farro to make this dish, but it will take quite a bit longer to cook the farro. Don't use pre-cooked farro.

9 ounces/255 grams (1½ cups) pearled farro, rinsed (see note)
1 tablespoon fine sea salt, plus a rounded ¼ teaspoon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
12 ounces/340 grams cremini mushrooms, rinsed, bottoms trimmed, and chopped coarse
1 large shallot, minced (~½ cup)
1½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a roiling boil in a large pot. Stir in the farro and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook until the farro is al dente (tender with a slight chew), about 15 to 20 minutes for pearled farro (see note). Drain well.
    2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, shallot, thyme, and remaining salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, the liquid has evaporated, and the mushrooms are starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
    3. Stir in the dry sherry and cook, scraping any fond off the bottom of the pan, until the skillet is almost dry again, about 2 minutes.
    4. Stir in the cooked farro and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, vinegar, and a few twists of pepper. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. Serve promptly. Makes 4 servings.