‘Top Chef’ judge Hugh Acheson shares recipe for sweetening up Memorial Day

Chef Hugh Acheson, in partnership with Maple from Canada, shared a filling recipe with Fox News, featuring warm ancient-grain farro and fresh vegetables

Chef Hugh Acheson, in partnership with Maple from Canada, shared a filling recipe with Fox News, featuring warm ancient-grain farro and fresh vegetables (Photo by Rick Kern/WireImage via Getty Images)

Memorial Day cooking usually features plenty of meat, grilling and… more grilling.

But if you still want to celebrate the unofficial start of summer — and don’t have the means, or the desire, to grill — you can turn to a sweeter and just as satisfying dish.

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“Although many of us are still at home, that doesn’t mean we can’t make it a special Memorial Day with our families. With all this extra time, we can celebrate the holiday by creating delicious dishes using ingredients that many of us have in our homes,” according to «Top Chef» judge Hugh Acheson, who spoke to Fox News.

Acheson, in partnership with Maple from Canada, shared a filling recipe with Fox News, featuring warm ancient-grain farro and fresh vegetables. The recipe makes “use of spices most have on hand,” along with a “personal favorite, pure Canadian maple syrup,» Acheson said.

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Farro Salad with Real Maple Syrup Vinaigrette, Carrots, Snap Peas, Sweet Peppers and Mint

The recipe makes “use of spices most have on hand,” along with a “personal favorite, pure Canadian maple syrup.”

The recipe makes “use of spices most have on hand,” along with a “personal favorite, pure Canadian maple syrup.” (Hugh Acheson)

Ingredients:

Maple vinaigrette (makes 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Farro salad

  • 1 1/2 cups farro
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup real maple vinaigrette (recipe above)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrot rounds
  • 1 cup finely chopped carrot tops
  • 1 cup chopped fresh sugar snap peas
  • 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Vinaigrette

  1. Place the shallot and mustard in a mason jar, seal with lid and shake.
  2. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and then thin with the vinegar and maple syrup. Season with the salt and place in a clean mason jar. The vinaigrette will keep in the fridge for a week.

Salad

  1. Rinse the farro under cold running water in a fine-meshed sieve.
  2. Place the farro in a pot and cover with 4 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
  3. Simmer farro and cook for 30 minutes. Then drain, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a bowl and set aside.
  4. In a separate, large bowl, combine the carrots, carrot tops, snap peas, bell peppers, and mint. Add 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss well.
  5. Add the farro and the remaining 1/4 cup of vinaigrette. Toss again and serve.
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