It’s Monday afternoon, and I’ve spent the entire day writing. I usually stop, go downstairs, grab something to eat, then bring it back up to my office to eat and keep going. When I finally looked up for lunch, it was 5:00 p.m.

My husband had been out on call all night and was sleeping. I knew he would appreciate a fresh meal when he woke up, so I went down to the kitchen and did the “open the refrigerator” thing, where you stare inside for something to yell out, “Cook me, make me!” But all I heard back was silence. I did this with both refrigerators.

I wanted something yummy, fast, and preferably with little work. In one, I was in full-on lazy mode. I found bratwurst and Italian sausage, which signaled my husband wanted them this week, and in the other I had a bag of onions and potatoes.

I knew there was a beautiful red pepper in the fridge as well, so the idea was: a simple dish I make every now and then, with not too many ingredients and a ton of flavor. This is comfort food at its understated best. Dinner or lunch, in 40 minutes.

Try it. I hope you enjoy it. Here we go.

Ingredients

5 sausage links — (this serves 4) (any kind of sausage works too)

3-4 potatoes, diced— (the rule of thumb is 1 potato per person)

1 red pepper — sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 Medium onion — diced

Garlic — quantity is your choice (We are anti-vampire in our home, so we enjoy copious amounts of it in everything except dessert: I am still looking for that recipe)

** I used 5 large cloves (did I ever mention that if there were a Garlic parfum, I would wear it? For real.)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of water

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes (because there is no reason not to add spice to your life)

Note:

This meal is very flexible. It is inexpensive to make, a rarity these days, and doubling it simply means adding more potatoes. I add three more potatoes to this recipe.

I also added 5 more sausages so there would be leftovers for those times when my husband gets called out in the middle of the night: he has a good meal before he goes in.

Nothing else needs to change when doubling, unless you want to add more veggies.

Shortcut:

Use frozen peppers and onions — it will save you from having to chop the veggies and cut about 5 minutes from the cooking time

Let’s cook!

Heat your pan or skillet over medium-low heat with the sausage. (I love cast iron because it holds its heat so well.)

** You don’t need oil here. Sausages have plenty of fat, which will render as they cook. This is your flavor base. Trust me.

Brown the sausages on all sides—which usually means 2 sides, unless you have perfectly straight sausage (see image)

Remove the sausage to a cutting board

Add the olive oil

Add the onions and peppers

Add the spices

Mix to distribute the ingredients evenly, then cook for 3 minutes, or until just before they turn translucent.

Add the potatoes and season

Slice the sausage while the veggies are doing their thing, filling your home with fragrance that will make you and everyone within a block ravenous.

Note:

The sausage is still raw at this point (see the image), but that is correct. They will continue to cook in a bit.

Add the sausage back into the pan and mix to distribute evenly.

Then add the water and cover.

Cook, covered, on medium-low to medium for 10 minutes (Don’t open the lid!). The ingredients are being naughty and need time to get to know one another in private: it’s steamy in there.

Remove the lid when the time is done.

Test the potatoes with a pointy knife by poking a couple. They should be firm yet tender.

(The sausage will be fully cooked—that’s why we slice it: a quickie)

Turn off the heat because I know it’s done, and get ready to savor every simple morsel.

Voila!

Plate, serve, and take a bite.

Tell me what you think afterward.

Add-ins

You can embellish this meal however you like. Add peas, diced or sliced carrots, or any other vegetable you like, fresh or frozen. Don’t have potatoes? Use sweet potatoes (yams), parsnips, or another root vegetable. The options are limitless.

**If you use veggies with higher water content, such as zucchini (courgette), yellow squash (crook-necked or otherwise), pattypan, or any summer squash, omit the water.

*** If you use chicken or turkey sausage, add a little oil after you heat the pan to brown the sausage.

(Those have much lower fat content, so you will need the oil at the beginning and before you add the veggies.)

**** Add curry, harissa, or ras el hanout: use any seasoning you love if you want to change it up.

Personal Note

This meal has a little backstory, as so many meals do. My dad made this a lot when my sister and I were kids. It was cheap as dirt, and more often than not, he was broke. It filled your belly and had a strange way of making you feel homey and good, like most carbs do.

When we became adults and were on our own, we started making this. After we had our families, my sister and I still cook it. We no longer make it as a fallback during lean times; we make it because it is comforting and nostalgic, as well as delicious.

Our families love it too, and hopefully theirs will as well, though not for the reasons our dad made it.

In the end, good food isn’t for the wealthy who can buy gourmet ingredients; it’s for anyone who can take simple ingredients and turn them into something otherworldly, simply by being creative.

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Sausage and Potatoes ©2026 Kitchen Passport. All rights reserved.

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I’m about to give you my son’s favorite dish recipe. Shhh. Don’t tell him or say it too loudly; he doesn’t know. And considering I haven’t given it to him yet, he might get a bit miffed at me. Brilliant thought: if I share the link with him, maybe he will finally subscribe to something I wrote.

This dish is so versatile, you will want to keep it on hand whenever you are out of ideas for a meal or side dish. It is packed with flavor. You can add or omit any protein you enjoy, except seafood. This recipe makes enough for a family of 4 or more; if your family is smaller, cut it in half. It can be multiplied just as easily, too.

Let’s begin

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice — (I prefer Jasmine rice over any other. The grain has a beautiful fragrance when uncooked and holds up better than any other rice. DO NOT use instant rice or brown rice.)

1–2 pounds meat — diced (Any kind of meat. If omitting, nothing else in the recipe changes.)

2–3 tablespoons Olive oil or ghee (Butter can be added to add richness to the flavors. I use olive oil and butter together, unless I have ghee in the house)

1 medium onion, diced

2–3 cloves of garlic, minced (this is where you use your taste preference-use more or less as you like. We love garlic, so I use more sometimes. You can also use jarred garlic, though you should add a bit more since it loses its potency in the canning process)

* Note: if garlic was a fragrance, I would wear it-I love everything about it, but its fragrance is intoxicating to me.

** Added bonus: vampires tend to avoid you. Mosquitoes too, since they are essentially vampires in bug form

1 bunch green onions (scallions)- sliced into 1-inch sections

4 cups broth or stock (Select whichever matches your protein, or vegetable stock if you are not using meats)

1 tomato bouillon per 2 cups of broth/stock- (crush it to a powder for easy dissolving: no one wants to chomp down on a partially dissolved bouillon)

* If you don’t have tomato bouillon, use chicken, beef, or vegetable)

1- 15 oz can of tomato sauce (this is per 2 cups of rice-add or reduce as per your quantities)

salt and pepper — to taste

2 tablespoons of chili powder (Chili powders are not all created equally in terms of spiciness/heat signature. You know how spicy you and your family like things: go for it!)

Let’s Cook:

Dice your protein. Season it.

In a deep skillet, heat the oil or ghee. Add butter if you are using it.

(Always heat the pan first, then add your oil, ghee, or butter: that’s how you prevent sticking)

Add your protein and brown well: that’s how it gets flavor.

Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until translucent and starting to turn golden. (That’s love right there-flavor) Always add onions before garlic, or the garlic tends to burn-yuk! And how dare you destroy my favorite enhancer? They can be added together too

Add the rice and bouillon, mix, and toast the rice.

When the rice begins to look golden, add the tomato sauce, green onions, and broth, then stir to combine.

Add the chili powder and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then lower your heat to medium-low.

Cover. (If the lid starts spewing, your heat is too high. You should not have to vent the lid at all. It should remain on the entire cooking time.)

Cooking time is about 17–22 minutes. When all the liquid has evaporated. The dish will have a thick, sauce-like consistency and look like a thick stew. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid as it cools.

P.S. If you want more liquid absorbed while it is still cooking, go for it. There is nothing yummier than rice that has stuck to the bottom of the pan and is deliciously crusted. That is my favorite part, and it has even more flavor. Just don’t let it burn.

Bon appetit (You are thinking about it, aren’t you? Julia Child’s voice.)

True Story:

When we lived in Denver, we had a favorite Mexican restaurant. They made the best Mexican rice I have ever tasted. Their pork green chili was the best, too. I wrote about that one in one of my vacation stories. Anyway, we moved from Colorado, and I missed the rice. So I set out to recreate the dish as closely as I could. This right here is that recipe. It is the only way I make it. While it is not the same in many respects, it tastes better, aside from the meat addition.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, August 2026)

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Mexican Dirty Rice ©2026 Spilled Ink for Kitchen Passport. All rights reserved.

Want something more dangerous, spicier? Here’s a really spicy one:

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Everyone loves Fettuccine Alfredo. It’s a classic dish. A little goes a long way because it’s so filling. Yes, it’s a high-calorie meal, but what the heck? You can’t eat lettuce every day, so splurge once in a while.

At home, we don’t eat a lot of pasta. We try to stick to proteins, whole grains, and produce. However, my son loved Alfredo, and since he would ask for it quite a bit, I needed to improvise a little to keep things from getting stale. Who wants the same old, same old all the time?

If you have finicky eaters who love pasta, you can get really creative with this recipe. You can sneak in veggies like the peas here or inside the filled pasta. And it’s cheap.

You can make this sauce and ladle it over chicken however you like. It’s versatile, and if you are creative, you won’t eat it the same way for a long time.

Oh, did I mention you can have this meal cooked and on the table in an astounding 7 minutes from the moment the water boils? That means you can drag your butt home from a hard day, put a pot of water on while you get out of your stuffy work clothes, and have your brood stuffing their tummies before they can say, “Hi, Mom, what are we having for dinner? We are starving!” That took 7 minutes to say, right? Ha!

Let’s get to it then.

Ingredients:

Ravioli (8oz) (Here is the subjective part — today’s recipe made enough for 3–4 hungry people — I used 1/3 of a 24 oz bag of frozen cheese ravioli)

4-Slices of Canadian Bacon- sliced, diced, minced -however you like it (Don’t have Canadian bacon? Use any ham you like, such as prosciutto or Serrano. With prosciutto or Serrano ham, cut it into small pieces and fry it like bacon for a more gourmet version of this dish. It will add a little time to preparation.)

1/2 canned, frozen, or fresh peas -at room temperature

1-cup heavy cream-/double cream/whipping cream < — these are all the same (If you don’t have heavy cream of any kind, use half-and-half and increase the simmer time and the amount of grated cheese)

1/2- cup grated cheese (Parmesan, Parmesano Reggiano, Asiago, or similar)

2–3 tablespoons butter or ghee

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Instructions: Pay attention! This will be quick.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil

2. Go change out of your clothes.

3. As soon as the water boils, add the salt and ravioli. *See note below:

**Always add salt to boiling water, not to cold water. Adding salt to cold water can pit your pots over time. Protect your good stainless-steel pots — they were an investment, not a fleeting guest.

4. Once you add the ravioli to the water, stir them so they don’t stick-you don’t really need oil in the water.

   

   

Note the time: 11:37. Pasta in, pan heating for the sauce. Image taken by the author.

5. Melt butter or ghee in a pan over medium-low heat.

6. Add your ham.

7. Add Peas and let these three ingredients get warm.

8. Add the cream, cheese, and pepper, then stir.

9. As soon as the ravioli float to the top, they are done. Guaranteed.

10. Drain pasta and add it to the pan where the magic is happening.

11. Mix and coat everything with love, and let it begin to bubble.

12. The sauce will thicken quickly. — Coat the back of a spoon as pictured. That is what ready looks like.

13. Call the clan to dinner and watch their eyes. *Yep, they are going to rave.

Tidbit

I have a long line of Italians in my family tree. It may be an olive tree, actually, since we are discussing Italy.

Anyway, as a rule, Italians don’t eat Italian food out. Why, you ask? I’ll tell you since you asked so nicely.

We don’t eat Italian food out because they always overcook the pasta. For us, overcooked pasta is a cardinal sin. It’s like eating Chef Boyardee canned pasta. It’s just not done.

Side note on this tidbit: If you ever see an Italian eating canned pasta, report it immediately to the Italian authorities. That person’s Italian card will be revoked.

This being said, always cook pasta al dente — to the tooth. I’m not sure why they call it to the tooth, when slightly undercooked is more accurate. So there’s that.

Remember: Spot, Report, Revoke — all pseudo Italians. It’s serious business.

I hope you enjoy your meal. Dinner is served!

**This recipe took longer to write out than it will to make it, eat it, and have your kids wash the dishes.

(Published in Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

If you’d like to share a recipe and some anecdotes, bring it to us. We are open for business and taking on new cooks.

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Photo By Alexandra Grant

Summertime is filled with the great outdoors. From forests to lakes, beaches to parks, we want to be outside, not locked in the house. We congregate with friends and family over food. It’s a normal function of socialization. People need people. In a world filled with ones and zeros, summer reminds us that there is frivolity and joy in being with other humans.

When we do get together, we love to eat. Food is the great equalizer. It is something we all share, and that has embedded memories in us. So let’s make a new memory today. Let’s think outside the box and try something new and refreshing.

The added bonus in this recipe is that it doesn’t have to be refrigerated when you take it to your next BBQ or picnic. The flavor profile is another added bonus. You have savory, sweet, refreshing, and even spicy, if you play your cards right. I’ll tell you how. Let’s cook.

Mango Salad (not a dessert)

Ingredients:

3 ripe mangoes - diced

(Mangoes ripen after they are picked, so if you get one that is very firm, you can let it sit on the counter, in the fridge, or place it in a paper bag for a day or so and get it where you want it to be)

1 or 2 jalapeños - seeded and diced

(Here is where the spiciness comes in. You can leave some or as much of the membrane as you like to increase the bite in the salad; just think about who will be eating it and use your judgment.)

2 cups fresh tomatoes - seeded and chopped

(Romas are the best for this)

1 medium-sized onion - diced or thinly sliced

(any color or variety; I like to slice them so there is some diversity-all chopped ingredients are kind of boring)

1 English cucumber - diced or thinly sliced as the onion above

(don’t peel the cucumber - it’s not needed)

1/4 cup or more chopped peanuts (*optional) (use lightly salted)

1-3 garlic cloves, minced (I love garlic so I use the max: use at least one)

1/2 a bunch of cilantro - (*optional)

The Dressing

2-3 tablespoons lime juice - fresh or reconstituted lime juice.

1 tablespoon oil (your preference)

1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (yes, you need this: it seems unusual but trust me it is amazing)

The Process

Mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Slice the mangoes off the pit. Keep the pit.

To slice the pit out, hold the mango upright or on its side and take your knife and slice each side off. The pit is in the center, and it’s large, flat, and disc-shaped.

*see image below

Dice the mangoes.

** Tip: take each half with the skin still on, and use a paring knife to slice a pattern into it as close as you can get to the skin without piercing through it. Then turn it inside out and slice off the chunks.

***Note: If this scares you or you are not confident of not bleeding yourself, you can dice the halves, then carefully peel or slice off the skin. (— for the pit meat, peel the skin and then slice off pieces until you have removed all the good mango meat)

Place them in the dish you are making it in.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and add them to the mango cubes

*Tip: if you are not planning on making the salad too spicy, please work on the jalapeños last, or it will leave spicy residue on the cutting surface that will transfer to your other ingredients

Add the dressing and mix well

Top with additional nuts if using and enjoy

A little something extra:

At swim club, when my son was still a competitive swimmer, I cooked for all of our at-home swim meets. I did this for years. I always created a diverse menu to keep our usual visitors interested in our hospitality.

One year, and it was more like a year and a half, I decided to expand everyone’s palates, opening their eyes to new cuisine. I created the Tour of the World Menu. Each at-home swim meet’s menu for the three or four days of its duration was an adventure in a new continent.

Everyone was introduced to nations all over the world and the foods they enjoy in their own nations. Three meals a day were focused on only one region of the world. It was a great way to learn about our neighbors, and even I learned things.

This salad was from Africa. The African climate varies by region. Some are desert-like, some are filled with tropical rainforests, and some are lowland savannas. One thing is certain: many nations experience hot temperatures for a large portion of the year.

You may be surprised to learn that in hot climates, the region’s foods can be very spicy. Capsaicin triggers the body’s response to produce sweat. That sweat cools you down as it evaporates. Interesting, right?

This salad refreshes in a couple of ways. The fruit is naturally a light element that cools you off, but it’s the jalapeños, the spice, that makes you sweat and cool down as well. Think of a mist of water on you when it’s super hot out. Disney World has this all around the parks in Florida due to the high heat and humidity index, which most travelers are not accustomed to, and it works.

Feedback:

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you thought of the salad once you make it and share it. Come back and let us know. Subscribe for emails when new recipes are posted.

Thank you for stopping by.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

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If you enjoy cooking as I do and love trying new recipes from all over the world, you likely have a collection of spices and herbs in your cupboard or pantry. I have a huge collection. Everything from dried chile powders to curry powders, harissa powder, berber, and blends for everyday grilled meats. Some are more exotic than others and come at higher costs or are difficult to find. So what do you do with all of it? How do you store them if you don’t use them all the time and don’t want to waste money? Let’s talk spices.

Spice Life

Spices in solid form have a decent lifespan. If you grind your own spices, you can comfortably store them at room temperature longer than powdered spices. The flavor profile of freshly ground spices is much better. The oils in the ground spice are what you are essentially needing for a recipe.

The shelf life of ground spices is about 6 months, give or take. That means that every 6 months you have to replace them entirely, or you may as well sprinkle pixie dust on your foods. You won’t taste them. So grinding is better in that scenario.

And replacing a cabinet or pantry full of herbs and spices can be cost-prohibitive.

Make It Spicy

If you don’t know how to grind your own, you have two options. An electric coffee bean grinder or a hand-cranked one. Either way, a grinder for coffee will give you the best powder consistency. Please don’t use the same one you use for your coffee. Unless you like the flavor of cumin in your coffee. Cardamom is one thing, but cumin or harissa is not my cup of tea. Wait, I meant coffee.

Now, you can use the caveman way too, if you like, but you might need a couple of days to cook a meal then. The mortar and pestle is not a bad tool, but in the post-industrialization era, we did better.

Spice Dying Out-Toss It

Once ground, your spices encounter the same issues as store-bought ones. They have a limited shelf life. Also note that if you are purchasing ground spices, you have no idea how long those have been in transit and then in a warehouse or on the grocery store shelf. So subtract a month or two from that 6-month lifespan. I usually date the bottom of the tin when I purchase them, not when you open them. Remember, they may have been on that shelf for months already or in the back room somewhere.

The cupboards are full of spices. You are looking at them like, what do I do then with that anise powder or cardamom powder you bought last year for that one meal? Short answer. Toss it. Buy new, and when you do, even if you don’t open it, put it in the freezer. It makes the shelf life much longer. How much? Well, when I hit a spice that has lost its potency, aroma, and flavor, I’ll let you guys know.

Cold Spice-Not To Be Confused With Posh

I have almost the entire sliding drawer of my freezer filled with spice. I have my other freezers loaded as well. And still, my cupboard and pantry have more.

Some of you caught the extra freezers part. Well, aren’t you perceptive?

Spice Story

I used to cook for a lot of people every week. I had my son’s youth group of 150 or more kids and parents. I was the hospitality coordinator for my son’s swim team, where I made the menu and all the meals for our team’s local swim meets. This meant I cooked 3 meals a day for 3-4 days once a month, for 50-80 people. Do the math. That’s a whole lot of cooking.

I was a stickler for giving them the full dining experience, so I would set the banquet tables with linens, fresh flowers, and candy dishes with assorted tidbits. I rarely served the same menu twice and literally introduced every one of the coaches, officials, swimmers, and meet volunteers to the world. I cooked meals from every corner of the globe. So, I have a lot of freezers.

I stored the meats and the finished pans of cooked meals in them, right next to spices in larger quantities, when I would run out of space in the household refrigerators in the swim club’s kitchen.

I still have most of them in my garage and two refrigerators in my kitchen. What can I say? I am a ‘what if’ kind of person. So while I have parted with one of the freezers, I keep one for beef, one for pork, one for fowl, and the other for seafood and spices. And yes, I know it’s nuts. But if you ever need a spice or a pound of ground pork, I’m your gal.

My son calls every now and then and tells me he needs to come home to go meat shopping. He means loading up his coolers with meats and taking them home. It makes sense, really. Have you seen the price of meats these days? The gas from Colorado to Kansas and back is cheaper, and he gets some home cooking before heading back.

He gets kisses and hugs for dessert, too.

(Published in Kitchen Passport on Medium, August 2026)

Thank you for sticking around — clap if you’re still breathing.
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All images were taken by the author, a home cook extraordinaire. All images were also eaten.

My mom made this amazingly refreshing cucumber salad. It was wonderful in the summertime when we came in from swimming or playing outside. It was so good, it was a staple all year long.

I make it often now. I never forgot her recipe. It’s so simple you can memorize it faster than your own name, and it has only 4 ingredients. So, if you forgot to make some side dish and your goose is cooked (okay, not your goose), this is fast and light.

However you make it, for one, two, or many, the recipe is the same and easy to remember.

Here we go. Let’s Cook!

Yes, I know we aren’t cooking. Senility hasn’t hit me yet.

Ingredients

(Recipe serves 2–3 easily)

1 Cucumber — Sliced very thin (any kind, though English ones are nicer and have fewer seeds)

Use a mandolin if you have one

1/2 tsp Dried Dill (if you used fresh, double it or even triple it)

1 TBSP of Mayonnaise (if you don’t have mayonnaise, use sour cream or plain yogurt)

1 Pinch to 1/2 tsp of salt

Putting it together

Slice the cucumber thinly and put in a glass bowl or container.

Sprinkle the salt on the cucumbers (this will begin to sweat the cucumbers- think of it as the vinegar without the tartness)

Sprinkle the dill on the cucumbers and toss

Add the mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, and mix it all together.

Give the ingredients a couple minutes to get to know one another so they don’t feel awkward marrying with an introduction first.

Done

** As it sits, the liquid turns into a light dill dressing. It will not be thick but very thin and loose, and it tastes incredible.

Whew!

Take a breather. That was hard work.

Sidenote:

My mom (not my biological mom) has been gone for a decade now. I make a lot of her recipes throughout the year. The smells, flavors, and taste of those recipes make me remember her and so many days and nights at home with her. That is comforting.

Every time I prepare her dishes, I feel like I am home again in the kitchen with her watching her cook. I see myself, a six-year-old memorizing her foods, so I never forget what home felt like.

I did this for my son too, as he grew up. He knows the smell of my cooking and remembers home. I see him a couple of times a year now, if I am fortunate enough to visit or have him come home for a visit.

He always has a menu-length list of what he wants me to make for him to eat. So I do, and I always make extra in containers and freeze them so he can pull out one of Mom’s meals whenever he misses my cooking.

I first bought him a small freezer just for those meals I make for him. He now has three to store as many home-cooked meals as I have the energy to make for him.

I fill them all to the top every time.

(Published in Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

Craving something heartier? Try Farro Salad next.

Catch me on Patreon, Substack, Beehiiv, Medium, Vocal, Wattpad, or WordPress. Dealer's choice! Check me out on Social Media too via Linktree or my website, Ink and Echo. And if you'd like to support my coffee habit, you can do that on Ko-fi too.

Photo taken by Alexandra Grant

A little history

I have been making this salad for at least six years. It began with my introduction to tabbouleh. I loved the taste and ingredients. It was wholesome, and I wanted my family to eat less processed food.

My entire family loved it. It’s hardy, has protein, good carbs, and a nice quantity of vegetables. The dressing can be as simple as you like or homemade. The ingredients can be doubled or halved just as easily.

Trust me when I say, everyone who tries it will want the recipe.

The ingredients I will list make a 9x13 deep-pan salad. It is best at room temperature and lasts longer than lettuce- or mayo-based salads, making it ideal for potlucks, barbecues, or church luncheons. From here on out, when you get a request to bring something to eat, you will announce that you will bring the salad: that is, if they don’t just outright ask you to bring this specific

Ingredients:

3 cups water

4 oz Feta crumbles (Brand doesn’t matter, but make sure it’s plain.)

1–1/2 cups farro (Farro is an ancient grain that has been around for thousands of years. Farro was eaten by the Pharaohs: not really, but they did make breads from the grain varieties we call Farro. The emmer, spelt, and einkorn are all wheat strains considered farro.)

1 English cucumber— unpeeled and diced (Yes, it matters. They are bigger, and yes, that matters, but most importantly, they have very small or nonexistent seeds, keeping the water content in them to a minimum. )

1 bunch of green onions-sliced

1 red pepper (Green peppers are too bitter. Red peppers have the best flavor profile for this salad.)

1 can of black olives- sliced any way you want(Whatever your preference is does not make or break the salad. Kalamata will give it more zest, but regular canned is fine too. Sliced or whole, it’s up to you.)

The Dressing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (The closer you get it from the Mediterranean, the better.) I use Spanish olive oil because it’s more aromatic and flavorful. The fact that my family lives in Spain might have something to do with it, but I will neither confirm nor deny such allegations.)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar (It can be white wine vinegar, but not white or apple cider vinegar. Brand does not matter much, but quality should be fairly decent.)

For the dressing spices, I don’t have a set selection. The quantities are up to your taste, though salt should be kept to a minimum due to the feta cheese’s saltiness. Here are some choices:

1 tsp or less of salt ( I use less or none at all.)

1/2 tsp of garlic powder or granulated onion

1/2 tsp of granulated garlic powder

1/2 tsp of Greek seasoning blend (available in most grocery stores; Italian seasoning works well, too. Don’t have that, then use oregano and a little less than 1 tsp of basil).

1 tsp ground cumin (This is needed, but if you don’t like it, omit it.)

(** If you want to make it even easier, you can use Good Seasonings. It has a similar taste, and neither you nor your guests will know the difference. Just follow package instructions, add 1 tsp cumin, and pour.)

Here we go

Make the salad dressing and set aside to get cozy with all its ingredients.

Making the farro: (read through)

2x the volume of the farro you use in water (i.e., a 2-to-1 ratio, meaning 1–1/2 cups farro to 3 cups water. (***Don’t change the ratio even in a rice cooker. Farro doesn’t cook the same or require the same amount of water as white rice. Farro is the whole grain of wheat before the chaff is removed and processed.)

Tip: Use a rice cooker and set it to ‘whole grain’, not rice. It will do its thing and finish cooking in an hour. The added time is a small sacrifice for the mess it saves you.

If you prefer the stovetop method, stay nearby because it will get messy as it loves to foam up and over the pot. On the stove, you will cook it on low until the water evaporates. This will take approximately 40–45 minutes.

When the farro is cooked, set aside to cool completely.

Putting it together: * while the farro cooks

In a large dish, mix the vegetables and the dressing.

When the farro has cooled, add it to the marinated vegetables and toss until well blended and everything is glossy and coated in the dressing.

Eat and enjoy now, or later, room temperature or chilled. Then wait for the ooh’s and ahh’s.

**Note:

Olive oil solidifies when cold, so if that is a no-go for you, take it out and let it reach room temperature, as I do. I’m not a fan of chunky olive oil.

Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your experience with it.

Here is a little side story

When my son was a competitive swimmer here in Wichita, I became a swim mom. As a parent of young Olympic hopefuls- because, yes, all of our children were going to the Olympics one day- we had to volunteer at our own hosted swim meets.

I ran the hospitality suite for the coaches and officials, who we fed three times a day and for 3–4 days. The first time I made this salad, I had grown men and women asking for doggie bags to take to their hotels.

Farro salad really is that good.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

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