Mango Farro Salad

Welcome to another tasty edition of Chefs Share! Each month, we share a home chef-friendly recipe from one of Miami’s culinary stars. If you’ve never worked in a professional kitchen before, don’t worry; these recipes don’t require any formal experience, and in this case, you may even find the main ingredient just steps away.

This month’s recipe comes to us from James Beard Award finalist Niven Patel, who was listed among Food & Wine magazine’s “10 Best New Chefs” of 2020.

During warm Miami summers with mango trees growing in backyards everywhere, exchanging varieties of this sweet and tangy fruit is the neighborly thing to do. But when we’re well in the thick of the season, the question always arises: “What can I do with all of these mangoes?”

Patel, who grows fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs for his restaurants Mamey, Orno and the Michelin-starred Ghee Indian Kitchen at his Homestead farm, Rancho Patel, has a delicious suggestion.

He’s sharing his recipe for mango farro salad – something he whips up with fruit from the more than 10 varieties of mango trees in his backyard. It’s an easy way to use this luscious and abundant fruit for a quick and refreshing lunch.

MANGO FARRO SALAD

Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS

For asparagus vinaigrette:

• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups canola oil
• 1/2 cup garlic oil
• 1/5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt to taste
• 1 asparagus end, blanched and thinly sliced

For salad:

• 1 cup blanched farro
• 1/2 cup diced mango
• 1/4 cup halved Zima tomatoes
• 6 arugula leaves
• 1/4 cup snow peas, blanched and cut in half
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, basil and scallions, diced and mixed
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup asparagus vinaigrette
• 6 stalks asparagus, shaved
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

PREPARATION

• To make vinaigrette, in small bowl combine all ingredients until well blended.
• To make salad, in mixing bowl gently combine farro, mango, tomatoes, arugula, snow peas, herb mixture and goat cheese with 1/4 cup vinaigrette, until thoroughly mixed and greens are wilted.
• Place in serving bowl and garnish with shaved asparagus and pomegranate seeds.

Irene Moore is a Miami-based writer and certified sommelier whose vivid descriptions take readers through culinary cultures around the world. Her feature articles have appeared in print publications, travel guidebooks and websites in the U.S. and Europe.