Welcome to

THE BLOG

Warm Farro Salad with Grilled Baby Octopus, Tomatoes and Basil | Recipe

Recipe-for-Warm-Farro-Salad-with-grilled-Baby-Octopus-Tomatoes-and-Basil

.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we interrupt our regular broadcast of Carmel delights to bring you some delicious food from Italy!”

I thought it was time to temporarily press the pause button on The Carmel Journals. I will resume transmissions shortly, but first I wanted to share with you one of my favorite summer recipes. It has a lot of qualities: it is easy, light, healthy, versatile and, most of all, delicious. It is also the kind of dish you will find frequently in Tuscany, especially along the coast. And if you happen to be there this summer, I recommend you eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Trattoria Tre Stelle, in Forte dei Marmi. Just make sure to make reservations, because they are always very busy.

WARM FARRO SALAD WITH GRILLED BABY OCTOPUS, TOMATOES & BASIL

or, in Italian: Insalata Tiepida di Farro con Moscardini Grigliati, Pomodorini e Basilico

yields: 4-5 servings

  • 680 gr. (24 oz.) cooked farro (spelt)
  • 20 fresh baby octopus (4-5 per portion)
  • 4 medium/small vine tomatoes, ripe but firm
  • 12 medium/large fresh basil leaves, + 4 tips for garnish
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine, at room temperature
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthwise, core removed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup hot water, if needed
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 corks (as in: corks saved from wine bottles)

Note: Cork releases a natural chemical that tenderizes the octopus by acting as an absorbent. It works also with squid/calamari.

To cook farro/spelt: soak the grain in a bowl of cold water for 4-5 hours or overnight. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a handful or two (depending on the size of the pot and amount of water) of coarse sea salt. Drain the water from the spelt and rinse, then add to the boiling water. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, partly covered until tender but still al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water to cool down and stop the cooking process. Drain well, and set aside until ready to use. Can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3-4 days.

If you are using pearled farro/spelt, you just need to soak it for twenty minutes.

STEP 1 – Heat 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil with 2 cloves of garlic in a medium-sized deep sauté pan on high heat. Add the baby octopus, season with a little black pepper only, and stir. Lower the heat and add the white wine, the bay leaf and the corks. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let cook, covered, for approximately 30 minutes, or until the octopus is tender. If needed, as the octopus cooks, add half a cup (more or less, as needed) of hot water to maintain the juices. There should be no need to add salt. Remove from heat and set aside.

This phase can be completed 1-2 days ahead, and the baby octopus can be transferred to a glass container and kept, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove the corks, keep the juices.

STEP 2 – In a large non-stick sauté pan, heat 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and the other two garlic cloves. Add the farro berries, season with salt and pepper and flip/stir to coat well, allowing the farro to heat through and gather flavor. Remove from heat and set aside.

STEP 3 – Heat a grill pan on high heat and grill the cooked baby octopus for a minute or so, turning them, until they have gathered the grilled flavor and look. Add the octopus to the sautéed farro and flip/stir.

STEP 4 – Add ca 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil to the bowl with the strained octopus juices and emulsify. Rinse and dry the tomatoes, then cut them in four or six wedges depending on size. Set aside. Place 4-5 basil leaves one on top of the other, roll up tight lengthwise like a cigar and julienne thinly crosswise. Repeat as needed until you have used all the leaves. Season the cut tomatoes with a little salt and pepper and a couple of Tablespoons of the emulsified oil and octopus juices. Add to the warm farro and octopus and stir gently.

.

Recipe-for-Warm-Farro-Salad-with-grilled-Baby-Octopus-Tomatoes-and-Basil

.

COMPLETION – Divide the salad onto 4-5 plates (4 if a main course, 5 if an appetizer), drizzle with the remaining oil/juice mixture, sprinkle with the julienned basil, decorate with the basil tips and serve.

You can also place the whole salad in a large serving bowl and present it at table.

The completed salad can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Do not reheat, but let it warm up to room temperature. Works well for picnics, too!

.

.

If you are interested in more recipes that are perfect or summer, you can click on the image below:

Recipes-perfect-for-summer

.

.

0 comments
Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

    Sign up for my Newsletter

    Subscribe-to-Life-Out-of-Bounds

    In the Kitchen

    Recipes-for-Spring

    Free Gifts

    Free-Wallpapers-widget
    Summer Solstice 2025
    ShinrinYoku-Invitations-Widget

    Support this Blog

    Buy-Me-A-Cup-of-Tea-and-support-this-blog-donation

    Latest Posts

    Currently Reading

    Current-Reading-List-April-24

    Healthy Living

    Color-and-wellbeing
    Shinrin-Yoku-forest-bathing-forest-therapy

    Popular Posts

    Explore

    Travel-and-explore-California
    Travel-and-explore-Hawaii
    Travel-and-explore-Italy

    Featured Posts

    Cute Wigglers

    Photo-stories-of-cute-dogs

    Don’t Miss

    Support this blog with a donation

    Follow me on Instagram

    Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers and to all those who have been mothering in some way.
Here is mine. She no longer looks quite like this, though this is how I think of her and I am sure this is how she thinks of herself.

The main thing is that she is still with us, despite all the challenges. I get to talk to her every day and will be spending more time with her in a few weeks. That is a blessing I don’t take lightly. 
🩷🌸🩷
M
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#loob_portraiture #mothersday #environmentalportrait #inthegarden #beautifulwoman #Italianmothers #portraiture #portrait #mothersday2025 #mothersdayweekend #mothersdayflowers #motherlove #motherdaughterlove #motherdaughterbond 
.
.
.
© Monica Schwartz - all rights reserved.
    For those who have missed it or who don’t get my newsletter, there is a new post on the blog in which I share about my personal experiences with various holistic treatments and therapies on my wellness journey.

It is the 5th installment in my Self Help series, which begins with chapter one and dealing with panic attacks. You can easily find the previous 4 once you get to this newest one. The link is in profile under “latest post”, or you can comment WELLBEING below and I will be happy to send you the link directly.

Don’t you just love peonies?
Love and blessings,
Monica
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#loob_selfhelp #holisticwellbeing #mindfulness #healthyliving #anxietyrelief #deepbreathing #peonies #stilllifephotography #fineartphotography #selfcarepractice #mindfulpractice
    Good Morning!

The official rose month is just around the corner, and there are already roses blooming everywhere in my neck of the woods. Yesterday on my walk I literally stopped and smelled the roses: heavenly!

I wanted to let you know that the new Calendar Wallpaper will be coming your way tomorrow, and on Friday I will be publishing a new post, which will be first announced in the newsletter coming your way on the same day. 

So you might want to keep an eye on your inbox, and if you have not yet subscribed and would like to, you can easily do so at the link in profile, or you can comment SUBSCRIBE and I will message you the link directly.

Blessings and love,
Monica
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#loob_nature #roses #gardendesign #gardenflowers #gardenlovers #iloveroses #flowerslover #mayroses #mayflowers #mymomentswithflowers #gardenphotography #naturephotography #gardenlife #homesandgardens #gardentherapy #shinrinyoku #naturehealsthesoul #newsletter #nothingisordinary #springweather #mindfulpractice #earthmedicine #breathedeeply #sacrednature #theitaliangarden #naturalliving #natureloverforlife #countrylife #naturewalk #roseseason 
.
.
.
© Monica Schwartz - all rights reserved. Do not reproduce in any way without written permission.
    Good Morning!

This exquisite Classic English kitchen in Southeast London caught my eye as it popped into my inbox a few days ago. 

I have not shared any home design inspiration for some time, for all the same reasons why I had not posted or sent out newsletters for sometime. But make no mistake: my love for interior design and architecture has not dulled one iota. Actually, it is even stronger.

Take a look on the blog (link in profile under Latest Post) for images, story and description of this moody-done-right kitchen.

Wishing you an easy rest of the week!
xoxo
Monica
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#loob_homedesign #kitchendesign #interiordesign #classicenglishkitchen #oldhouseappreciation #homerenovation #oldhouselove #historichomes #houseportrait #kitchengoals #kitchenremodel #georgianhome #kitchendesignideas #kitchendesigner #kitchendesigninspiration #londonarchitecture #kitchendesigntrends #moodyinteriors #moodyinteriorstyle #darkandmoodyinteriors #moodyinteriorsuk #moodyinteriorsdoneright #copper #homedecor #madeinengland #kitchencabinetry #customkitchens #copperkitchen #kitchencolorscheme #kitchencolorsideas 
@devolkitchens