Warm Farro with Roasted Autumn Vegetables

Farro is one of the oldest cultivated grains in the world, and it has survived this long because it is nearly perfect. Chewy without being tough. Nutty without overwhelming. It holds its shape through cooking and through dressing, which makes it ideal for a salad like this one.

The secret here is warmth. Toss the farro while it is still steaming from the pot, and it will absorb the vinaigrette like a sponge. Cold grains sit there, resistant. Warm grains welcome the dressing into their structure. This is the difference between a grain salad that tastes dressed and one that tastes alive.

At the market, look for butternut squash that feels heavy for its size with matte, unblemished skin. Brussels sprouts should be tight and bright green, the smaller ones sweeter and more tender. Red onions with papery skins and no soft spots. These vegetables are at their peak now, and roasting them until they caramelize brings out sugars you cannot achieve any other way.

This salad improves with twenty minutes of resting after assembly. The vegetables release their juices, the farro continues to absorb, and everything comes together. But it does not want to sit overnight. Serve it the day you make it, while the textures still have contrast.