Recipe - Farro with Blue-foot Mushrooms and Kale

If you've noticed in the past week, I've been participating in something called the Mushroom Makeover challenge which requires me to make at least four meals every week for 30 days with mushrooms. Of course, I love the dang things anyway so this has been quite an enjoyable journey so far. In my excitement, I dragged Duc with me to the Hollywood Farmers' Market last weekend in search of a mushroom vendor that was supposed to be amazing. Was it? Absolutely. I spotted some varieties I had never seen before so of course, I had to swipe them up. I only managed to get a few types before my wallet cried at me to please stop the torture. Sigh.

Well, one of them happened to be these gorgeous Blue-foot Mushrooms that had a blue shimmer around the stem which lasted even through cooking. After reading more, I realized it can have a psychedelic effect if eaten raw and improperly so I suppose the blue has a reason for being there...but I did cook them and didn't suffer any side effects. I would very strongly recommend that if you were to try using these, you get them from a trusted and reputable source because you wouldn't want to eat the wrong shrooms! I paired them with kale for its inherent earthiness and cooked it with farro for a very rustic dish. If you can't find Blue-foots, I suggest using Shiitake mushrooms instead which still have an earthy feel to them and are definitely more easily accessible.


Step 1: Ingredients (yields 4 servings)

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups green kale, finely chopped
• 2 cups cooked farro (1 cup uncooked)
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 cup Blue-foot mushrooms, sliced (~4 ounces) (can also use Shiitake)
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1 small sprig rosemary, dried

Step 2: Preparing the base
I indicated cooked farro in the recipe ingredients because I already had a batch cooked up prior to throwing this dish together. There are some quick-cook versions out there so I won't elaborate on how to get your cooked farro since it may vary by package but have that ready. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil on medium high heat. Once boiling, add in chopped kale and cook for approximately 4 minutes. Turn to medium low heat and add farro and white pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes to the desired doneness of your kale.


Step 3: Finishing
Honestly, I loved making this dish because it really was this easy. Add into your saucepan the butter and mushrooms. Stir until mushrooms are well coated in the butter and a creamy texture is achieved in the whole pot. Lastly, add in remaining ingredients of rubbed sage and rosemary. Turn off heat and stir until herbs are well incorporated. Serve and enjoy!


Photography by Duc Duong.