Inspired by Alison Roman

| Yield: 4-6 servings | Time: 45 minutes |

Ingredients

farro

2 cups dry farro

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

salt and pepper, to taste

roasted vegetables

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 large zucchini, sliced into rounds

2 large beets, cubed

2 bunches broccolini, chopped into small florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

mushrooms-leek saute

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-4 cups oyster mushroom, torn into large pieces

1 large leek, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 can beans of choice (1 1/2 cups), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

creamy dill sauce

3/4 cup tahini

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup dill, finely chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Fill a large pot with water and a few good pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, and add the 2 cups of farro. Cook like pasta, about 30 minutes, draining when tender.

Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse, dry, and chop the veggies. Spread the prepared veggies separately onto two baking sheets, and split the olive oil and salt among them. Be sure to give the vegetables space to breathe for proper roasting, otherwise they will steam. Place in the oven to roast for 25 minutes, stirring and rotating the baking sheets after 15 minutes.

While the farro and veggies cook, make the mushrooms and dill sauce. Keep an eye on the time, removing veggies from the oven and draining the farro once cooked.

For the mushrooms: Preheat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and leeks, leaving them alone to sear. After 5 minutes, stir to brown the other side, another 5 minutes. Add more oil and lower heat slightly if they start to burn.

Add beans, salt, and vinegar to the mushroom mixture. Stir to combine, and lower heat just to keep them warm.

For the sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients into a medium sized bowl and whisk together. Taste and adjust the seasonings and the amount of water to your liking. (I use a very runny tahini, so you may need to add more water to create the right consistency).

Toss the farro in a large bowl with the olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.

Portion the farro into individual serving bowls, topped with the roasted veggies, the mushroom-leek sauté, and lots of creamy dill sauce. Store leftovers separately and recombine whenever the desire strikes.

Zero waste tips

• Use the leek greens in this dish, or save them to sauté them into your next scrambled eggs or pot of beans.

• Buy mushrooms loose from the grocery store or farmers market to avoid plastic packaging.

• Put vegetables straight into your shopping bag to avoid plastic, or reuse plastic you already have at home.

• Buy grains, beans, and spices from the bulk section of a grocery store with your own container. You can even do this with olive oils and vinegars at some places. If inaccessible, buy in large bulk containers — this is cheaper in the long run anyway.

• Compost whatever scraps you can’t use — yes, you can even do this in a small urban apartment!

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