Hello! I am so excited to be posting my first recipe for 2018.

Sharing recipes with my readers brings me tons of joy, but sadly my blog has been taking a back seat to work, school, travel, etc.

Setting goals is something that I do for myself all year long.

When the calendar goes from one year to the next, it is popular to say “New Year, new me.” While that can feel lofty or dramatic, I find value in that January feeling to take some inventory of life and see where there is room for positive change and improvement. Usually, the list is health related, like, "OK, I’m going to take my vitamins and supplements EVERY DAY" (instead of for two weeks straight and then forgetting about them for the next two months).

Connecting with you guys and sharing my plant-based recipes was also on my list. So, to kick off my 2018 blog posts, I thought I would share this amazing dish that I created out of food that was in my fridge that had to be used ASAP.

Some of my favorite recipes come from those moments.

My friends say that those are sometimes my best meals. Maybe it’s because I hear Ted Allen, the host of Chopped, in my head as I figure out how to plate something delicious out of the random basket that is my refrigerator, or maybe it’s because it allows me to be more creative than usual, but it also feels good to make something tasty out of what I can find.

If you know me but at all, you know that I think pesto is the besto.

The recipe for this sauce that I share with you guys on my website is the one that I grew up on and was created by my momma. People have told her that she should jar it up and sell it because it's so good. Making it from scratch with impress yours and your loved ones taste buds.

Usually, I have batches of this green gold in my fridge that I made over the summer with fresh basil from my dad's garden. I am running really low though, so I decided to use the rest of the basil in my fridge that felt like a ticking time bomb- ready to turn black at any given moment. I hate it when that happens! Whenever I am stomping and yelling "NO!" in front of my open refrigerator, the hubster figures it's most likely because the basil turned bad on a dime.

I love this dish.

It's warm, fresh, loaded with plants, and answers the question that I so often get which is "how do I cook with farro?" This is a perfect weeknight meal. I can't wait to hear what you think!

Pesto Farro with Eggplant & Zucchini

Author: Michele Wolfson Broder

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 TBS extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
2 zucchini, thinly sliced half-moons
1 smallish Italian eggplant (about 6 inches), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups farro, uncooked
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper to taste
Recipe for pesto sauce: http://www.thedirtonvegetables.com/2014/07/basil-pesto-sauce/

Instructions

Cook farro according to package (see notes) and then prepare your pesto sauce.
In a large saute pan, heat 2 TBS olive oil over medium/high heat. Then add diced onion and saute until translucent (3-5 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the eggplant and 3 TBS of olive oil and toss around, making sure it is covered with oil, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Put zucchini in the pan with eggplant mixture, add the last tablespoon of olive oil, and saute until eggplant is slightly browning and zucchini is soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
When finished cooking, drain farro and add to a large mixing bowl.
Put your vegetables in the mixing bowl with farro and toss well.
Add your pesto to the mixing bowl and continue to toss well until all of your vegetables are covered.

Notes

1. If there is just no time in your week to make pesto (it's pretty easy to make, but stuff happens, so don't beat yourself up over it too much), I have heard that Whole Foods makes a good fresh pesto.

2. If you can't find pine nuts that are toasted, I toast my pine nuts on parchment paper in the oven for 375 for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing often. OR, I toast them in a dry skillet for 3 minutes over medium heat, tossing often.

3. Whole Foods and Trader Joes have bags of 10-minute farro if you are looking to make this a quick weeknight dinner.

4. I buy "Italian Eggplant" as they tend to be smaller and firmer.