lemon & olive oil farro with carrot sauce, poached egg, & rosemary granola

This dish was inspired by a cumin, duck fat-roasted carrots recipe I made frequently from the I Love New York cookbook. The best part of the recipe was the leftover carrot sauce, made from a carrot juice reduction to enhance the natural sweetness. It's rounded out with the creamy, buttery flavor of the mascarpone cheese, and a hint of spice and sharpness from dijon mustard. I then added it to some warm farro tossed in lemon juice and zest to brighten up the flavors. So delicious and easy - plus, you can use the sweet leftover carrot sauce on just about any other dish for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

For the carrot sauce:

• 6 cups carrot juice
• 1/4 cup mascarpone
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• Lemon juice to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the farro:

• 1 cup farro, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Lemon zest of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped chives
• Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Poached egg

Preparation:

In a pot, heat the carrot juice and reduce to half its original amount. Then, add the mascarpone and dijon mustard. Season with the red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

In the meantime, bring the farro and water to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until fully cooked. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss the cooked farro with the dressing and chopped chives. Season to taste and top with poached egg.

Serve alongside carrot sauce and roasted carrots. The carrot sauce can be used on many things, such as pasta, seafood, chicken, etc.