I’ve been following Heidi Swanson’s blog 101 Cookbooks for well over a decade. Her voice feels both confident and approachable — creative with simple ingredients, sophisticated without ever becoming fussy.
I’ve loved all of Heidi’s cookbooks, and her newest, Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel, is a favorite. The book captures what I most enjoy about travel: the way a single taste can expand your culinary imagination and bring you back to a place in an instant. At the same time, her attention to the “near” is meaningful — inspiration is often found in everyday life, close to home, in familiar people and places.
I’ve tried several recipes from Near & Far, including a fregola sarda salad, and this farro salad remains one of my top picks. Like many of Heidi’s dishes, the combination feels obvious in hindsight — buttery green olives, crunchy nuts and sweet raisins make an unexpectedly perfect trio. The salad balances savory, salty, sweet and tangy notes, delivering satisfying contrasts in every bite.
I’ve made a few small tweaks: I swapped hazelnuts for walnuts, reduced the amount of onion, increased the Pecorino, and finished the salad with a scattering of fresh Italian parsley. The result is bright, textured and very easy to put together.
If you enjoy farro salads, you might like these variations: Greek Farro Salad, Charlie Bird Farro Salad, and a Smoked Salmon Salad.
Farro Salad with Green Olives, Hazelnuts and Raisins
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups whole farro
- 3 cups water
- large pinch fine-grain sea salt
- 2 tablespoons Meyer Lemon juice about 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Castelvetrano or other buttery green olive coarsely chopped
- 1 cup toasted hazelnuts coarsely chopped
- 3 green onions roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup golden raisins look for golden Himalayan raisins – they’re delicious and usually unsulphured
- large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ounce shaved pecorino plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
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Combine the farro, water and a large pinch of fine sea salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook about 30 minutes, until the farro is tender but still holds its shape. Drain any excess water and set the farro aside to cool.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the Meyer lemon juice, honey and extra-virgin olive oil. Stir in the chopped olives, toasted hazelnuts, green onions, golden raisins, crushed red pepper and 1 ounce of shaved pecorino. Add the cooled farro and toss until everything is evenly combined.
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Finish with the chopped Italian parsley and a few additional shavings of pecorino. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.
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