Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables

After posting sugary desserts for the past 4 days, I thought it was time for something healthy and definitely savory. Also May happens to be the 'National Month of Salad', so what's better than a healthy salad to kick start this month. I didn't know that there was such a thing as salad month, but I guess it's never too late to know about good things, right??

Today's salad is made with "Farro", an ancient grain believed to have sustained the Roman legions. I have heard about and have seen a number of bloggers cooking with it, so I bought some from Whole Foods recently. Since the weather is still a little chilly, I roasted some veggies in the oven and mixed them with cooked farro for a simple, filling and healthy salad.

Ingredients: Makes 1 big serving or 2 smaller servings

Farro - ½cup
Red Onion - 1 small, diced
Red Pepper - 1 medium, chopped
Japanese Eggplant - 1 medium, cut on the bias
Zucchini - 1 small, cut on the bias
Mushrooms - 1 cup, quartered if big or halved if small
Herbe de Provence - 1tsp
Garlic Olive Oil  - 1tsp
Balsamic Vinegar - 2tsp (I used white balsamic as I was out of regular balsamic)
Mint - 2tbsp, finely chopped
Fontina Cheese - 1 oz. diced (optional)
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Method:

• Cook Farro: I soaked farro overnight, but soaking is not required. Combine farro with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and, lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and farro is tender. Even after completely cooked farro has considerable bite, it will not be too soft or mushy.
• Roasting Vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add all the chopped veggies. Drizzle 2tbsp olive oil, herbe de provence, salt and pepper. Mix everything well and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the veggies start to caramelize around the edges. 
• Assemble: Combine, roasted veggies, garlic oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped mint, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well and serve warm or at room temperature or chilled.