Farro

You don't have to toast farro before you cook it, but once you do it this way you probably won't go back. The toasting deepens the grain's natural nuttiness in a way that plain boiling never does.

---

Heat a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat.

Add 2 smashed and peeled garlic cloves and ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft, fragrant, and beginning to turn golden – about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup farro and cook, stirring more or less constantly, until the grains darken slightly and smell toasty, another 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in 4 cups water, add 1 bay leaf and 2 teaspoons kosher salt (use Diamond Crystal – if you're working with Morton's or another brand, start with 1 teaspoon and adjust at the end), and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook until the farro is tender but still has some chew — anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes depending on your grain. Keep an eye on the water level as it cooks – if it reduces too much before the farro is done, add more water. Let it get too low and the reduced starch turns the whole thing gummy.

You want it to have some bite left; if it starts to split open and go soft, it's gone too far. Drain well.

Use warm, or spread on a baking sheet, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and let cool before adding to a salad.

Adapted from Joshua McFadden