I wanted to give you a post about Shirakawa-Go and ancient Japanese graveyards too busily sun dappled to photograph and Shinto shrines I probably didn’t deserve to see. I was probably married to the idea because wander starts with the same letter as Wednesday. And it’s Wednesday for at least another couple of hours. At least it was when I started writing this. I’m neurotic like that. Most of my inertia (of which I experience quite a bit, despite appearances) stems from hilarious, self-imposed, compulsive rules. But it has to be in chronological order. It can only have so many photographs. Too much time has elapsed, it needs to be reframed. The narrative has holes. It needs to have a title. Should I number them? Is there a theme? Maybe it will be a series? It needs to have a recipe. Or a how to. Or a guide. For someone who categorically failed at following rules her whole life, I sure do make a lot of them for myself. But I know when to tell myself enough is enough and good enough is good enough. It’s my mantra lately. And this dish is born of that mantra. And the funny thing is, when you let good enough be good enough, you frequently get great. And this wholesome bowl is great. It’s a savory, umami bowl of cravings satisfied.
Here’s the thing. My cooking is dictated largely by cravings. And those shift, tectonic plates. Lately I don’t crave cakes. I crave savory, umami bowls of vegetables and whole grains with big punches of protein from stir fried tofu or farm eggs. I make some iteration of this almost every day. My vinaigrette, if you can call it that, varies. It usually has some or all of the following in it: umeboshi paste (pickled plum, highly acidic and salty), white miso (warm, umami, salty), sambal oelek (acidic, heat, salty), ponzu (acidic, salty), toasted sesame oil (warm, nutty, a little goes a long way), sumac (acidic), tahini (unctuous, earthy, bitter, creamy), raw honey (warm, sweet), and grapeseed oil as a filler. I’m also very keen on z’atar and dukkah.
Salty, savoury, it’s a theme lately. But there’s something special about these savory ingredients. Something I can’t quite articulate. They possess a meaty warmth that makes me forgo land animals and sea creatures in favor of roots and leafy things and pearlescent grains. I’m learning to cook rice. Properly. And to use my donabi. I always leaned towards western cooking, a self taught student of the French raised beneath the Mason-Dixon line.
But more and more, the East, both middle and far, is creeping in. I do hope I can find myself exploring the flavors of Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Vietnam, and Japan in the next year if only so that I can bring what I discover back to everyday eating. The beautiful thing about cooking is it’s truly the most intense way to travel without leaving your own backyard. You can experience other cultures, other people’s memories, right at home, if only you venture to try.
This vegetarian farro bowl makes the perfect savory breakfast, lunch, or dinner but I love it most of all as the start of my day. The protein, good fat from the avocado, and energy from the whole grains keep me going all day long.
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 soft boiled eggs, sliced in half
- fresh basil
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup microgreens (radish, arugula, whatever will do)
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 5.5 oz (160 g) extra firm tofu, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- juice and zest of a whole lemon
- 2 teaspoons tamari or shoyu
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
Instructions
- Rinse the farro well. Cover it with the water, add the salt, and sesame oil, and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender. Drain and return to the pot.
- While the farro cooks make the vinaigrette & boil your eggs. For a perfectly soft boiled egg, bring a small pot of water to a full boil, lower the eggs into it, cook for 6 minutes, submerge in an ice bath until cool to the touch, and then remove and peel. To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Toss a third of the vinaigrette with the diced avocado, reserve the rest for the farro & tofu.
- When the farro is done stir in a third of the vinaigrette, and then heat a large skillet with a splash of oil (I prefer grapeseed), and stir fry the shredded tofu until just warm, about 5 minutes. Stir in the last third of the vinaigrette. Turn off the heat.
- To assemble the bowl put the farro in first and then top with the tofu & avocado. Add fresh basil, microgreens, the scallions, and the egg. A few cracks of fresh pepper. A sprinkling of salt if desired. Sriracha never hurt anything.
That looks so delicious, dear Beth, loooooooove the pictures! So glad that I found you! Have a wonderful day,
Jade
I totally agree with you on cooking being ‘the most intense way to travel without leaving your own backyard’. I personally gravitate more towards eastern cooking and I find the food to be really filling savory and hearty.
I have strong feelings about avocado. I….dislike it. Its soapy flavour…yuk! But I know how healthy it is. And this recipes looks…delicious! My mum used to cook beetroot soup telling me it was tomato one…i fell for that! I’m going to try this avocado recipe and imagine it’s something else 😉
http://www.allnnothing.com
Tossed with this dressing…I think anyone might like it!
This is such a nice idea for breakfast…of brunch! It looks incredibly satisfying.
These photos are stunning, Beth, I don’t know how you do it! And you writing is incredible. I can so relate to your need to create rules for yourself. xx
* your writing 🙂
I’ve never shredded tofu so does it need to be pressed first? This recipe looks amazing!
I don’t press it. And half the time I shred it directly into a hot pan.
thank you Beth and I adore your blog!! great recipes and gorgeous photos.
Hi Beth,
This is my first time commenting on your blog. So first off, hi. Second, this dish is so beautifully photographed and conceived. I am definitely going to try this dressing. I love your beautiful writing and what you shared about yourself and your process. I especially liked what you said about when you let good enough be good enough, you frequently get great. I am guilty of overworking and overanalyzing things at time. Sometimes I need to remind myself to let things be. So thank you for your sweet reminder this morning.
I love farro for any meal. Your addition of shredded firm tofu sounds divine!
It looks delicious. I love all the ingredients. The picture and post was perfect. Better than good enough. 🙂
This dish truly IS beautiful and simple! But the funny thing is that it looks as satisfying and comforting as homemade lasagna. Maybe it’s the egg and the fact that it’s Asian inspired because lately any Asian food is amazing in my book. Must be pregnant or something, lol….(not really)
And these days I find myself comfortably embracing the good enough lifestyle. I’m not a neat or perfectionist type person by any means, but when it comes to doing things I’m passionate about I go all in. Even then, lately I like doing what I can and letting things be, rather than stress myself with self imposed rules.
My sister just returned from a summer in Jordan with a bag full of Jordanian za’atar, and I can’t wait to try using it — and hopefully, to visit her there when she returns next year. Morocco, Iran, and Turkey are on my list as well. I would love any suggestions for your favorite use of za’atar, if you have some!
I’ve been following Local Milk for a while, though like Kathryn, haven’t commented till now. Your photography is AMAZING and I love seeing on Instagram all the smaller pieces of your life, like kittens and a sleepy husband. Your words, also, are delightful to read. So thanks for sharing your life with us, Beth! You’re such an inspiration in addition to being a killer cook. 🙂
just tried the dressing recipe this morning and YUM. so good.
I like the image of the East creeping in. I’ve found myself in a similar shift, where I seek seeds and lightly steamed greens to dress my protein instead of butter or cheese. (Though I will also dearly love cheese). But white miso! Where to?
Well this looks like the most delicious breakfast bowl ever. I’m a huge fan of avocado and egg on fresh grain toast, but , oh, this looks so much better! I must get my hands on farro and try it out!
Marianne 🙂
I’ve never had breakfast with avocado and egg but this looks good and healthy. Should probably give it a try for something different.
Perfect weekend breakfast! Thanks for the inspiration Beth!
What if you don’t have sumac? Never used it before. Would it taste still good without it? I love miso and avocado. I must try it. Though I might make it with either Bhutanese red rice or Quinoa instead of farro.
It will still be good without it. : )
Nice read. Worth sharing. Inviting to guest blog.
Your blog has incredible climat!
HuffPost says you are the food blogger with the best photography, and they are SO right! Incredible photography and the breakfast bowl looks delicious! I’m always in search of a break from the same old eggs and bacon every morning! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Oh Beth… we just had this for brunch. It’s one of the most delicious dishes we’ve had in a very long time. So tasty. Thank you.
Sounds so good. Are you the photographer also? The picture are beautiful. If you are you should start a photographers business.
Seriously, I am mesmerized by your photos and it doesn’t hurt that your recipe includes avocados. I absolutely love them and enjoyed trying a variation of the recipe. Do you have a preference for Japanese knives?
Love every single post, but this is my favorite! And mostly because of one sentance: “The beautiful thing about cooking is it’s truly the most intense way to travel without leaving your own backyard.” I want to frame that quote and hang it in my culinary classroom, with credits and your permission, of course. It is gold!
Would love for you to do that!! : ))