Frugal Farro Soup Recipe - Minestra Povera di Farro

This frugal farro soup is from the rugged Apennines that separate Emilia-Romagna from Tuscany -- an area that was often isolated for months on end during the winter before the advent of railroads and asphalt.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound (100 g) farro in whole grains (use spelt or emmer if need be)
• 2 quarts water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 4 large potatoes
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion and 1 rib celery, minced
• 2 heaping tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1/4 pound (100 g) pancetta or a small pig's trotter (optional)

Preparation:

Prepare the farro: Wash it well, picking out impurities such as bits of chaff, pebbles, or bad grains, and soak it for at least 8 hours.

Once it has soaked set it to cook with all the remaining ingredients except the potatoes and the milk.

After 2 1/2 half hours add the potatoes and cook a half-hour longer, then check seasoning.

Mash the potatoes, stir the milk into them, and return the mixture to the pot; serve piping hot.

Be sure to stir frequently lest the soup stick and burn.

A wine? White, perhaps a Bianco dei Colli Bolognesi.

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