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Hellllllllo, Friday.

My, oh my, are you looking fine.

What? Who says that? Pardon my nerd-ness.

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As we enter into the last weekend of June (HOLY BONKERS!), I thought we should take a moment and do a temperature check on what y’all want to accomplish this summer. I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up and July 4th was over, my mind started to think about school supplies. Office Max and me were total besties. Yes, I was that kid going on 30. Wait. Does that mean since I am now 30, I am really going on 50? That’s not right.

Where was I? Oh, yes, summer things.

For me, I have so many things I want to accomplish over the summer, like a hike a 14’er or take a photography class. I start to feel overwhelmed about all I want to get done

farro

What’s a girl to do when she feels overwhelmed by her own list?  The answer: start with the small things.  I whipped up this farro salad a couple of weeks ago in the hope that it would force my tookus outside for a lovely picnic. Then I traveled like a nomad the month of June, so I have yet to pack a picnic basket and find the perfect park location. But again, start small. Who says that my own backyard wouldn’t work?

I am going to spread out a blanket, plop down a big bowl of this farro salad with chicken andouille sausage and grilled shrimp, and soak up summer. No, it’s not the perfect scenery. I still eye imperfections in my garden, and I still cringe when my neighbor’s annoying dog barks. But sometimes, if you don’t start somewhere, you’ll never get there.

So, raise a fork! Here’s to accomplishing our summer goals. Sometimes in our own backyards.

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Print Recipe

Farro Salad with Chicken Andouille and Grilled Shrimp

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup farro
1 small red onion, diced
2 precooked chicken andouille links, sliced
15 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the faro and cook on low heat for about 40 minutes. Make sure to cover the pot. Once cooked, drain the pot and set the farro aside in a large bowl.

In a large skillet preheated to medium heat, add some olive oil and brown the chicken andouille. Should only take about 5 minutes since it's already cooked, but you want it to have a nice golden brown color. Remove the andouille and set aside.

In the same skillet preheated to medium-high heat, add a little more olive oil. Salt and pepper the shrimp on both sides. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for a minute on each side or until slightly pink. Remove the shrimp and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the onion, tomatoes, parsley, basil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, shrimp, and andouille. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

All images and text ©