Farro Risotto

1. Heat olive oil in a pan (medium heat). Add grated or chopped onion and stir until fragrant, but not brown.

2. In the meantime, heat your chicken stock in a saucepan. (Why do you do this? You want it to be warm so that it doesn’t cook or significantly slow the cooking process as you make your risotto. Keep the stock on the stove at a low simmer as you prepare your risotto. You don’t want it boiling like mad as it will boil too much away while you make your risotto, but you don’t want it cool either.)

3. Add farro to the oil/onion mixture and stir for a couple minutes to lightly toast the grain. (Why do you do this? It helps the grain hold its texture throughout the cooking process.)

4. Add the white grape juice to the farro and stir until it’s absorbed (this won’t take long at all).

5. Add a ladleful of stock to the risotto and stir. Keep stirring occasionally as the stock absorbs. (Why do I have to stir occasionally? Because this releases some of the starches and gives the risotto the appropriate texture when it’s done.) Every time the stock is almost absorbed into the farro, add another ladleful, stirring occasionally until it absorbs. This is how you’re going to spend the next 20 minutes. Simmer, stir occasionally, add another ladleful of warm stock, help your child spell “continent,” and repeat.

6. In the meantime, chop the spinach and the chicken (we had leftover chicken from a roast chicken; otherwise you can use canned or boil a breast or skip it altogether and go vegetarian).

7. When you’re just about down to your last ladle or two of stock, add the spinach and the chicken and stir.

8. Add the last of your stock. Stir. Taste. This is important. The farro shouldn’t be mush; it should be chewy and toothsome, but it shouldn’t be rock-hard-in-the-center either. If it’s not done, add another 1/2 cup of water and stir, allowing that to absorb. Note: You want a little bit of fluid to remain when you take this off the heat. It will probably absorb before you eat your meal, but if you let all the fluid get lapped up and then take the pan off heat, the bottom might dry out before you (finally) get all the kids to sit down at the table.

9. Add salt and pepper and taste, adjusting your seasonings if necessary.

10. Add Parmesan cheese and give it a stir or two. Serve nice and warm.