farro & roasted carrot salad with raisins, harissa & chickpeas

This cumin, carrot and grain dish is a nice, hearty, filling and warm dish that’s either great as a side for eight, or as a main salad dish for four.

Author

Adam Baughan, Mr McCracken

Servings

4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• ½ cup Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ cup plain vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt
• ½ cup good quality bush honey
• 1 cup Mount Zero Apple Cider Vinegar
• Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp harissa paste
• 1 cup Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 100g Mount Zero Australian Chickpeas, cooked according to packet instructions
• 600g Mount Zero Biodynamic Pearled Farro, cooked according to packet instructions
• Small bunch parsley, chopped
• Small bunch chives, finely sliced
• 1 cup dried raisins
• ¾ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and crushed
• ½ cup pepitas
• ½ sunflower kernels (removed from outer seed)
• 4 large carrots, cut into 1cm rounds
• Cumin, cider and honey dressing, to taste
• 200g hummus (about ¾ cup)
• ¼ cup harissa infused oil
• Good squeeze of lemon

Directions

1. Toast cumin seeds in a pan over low heat for a few minutes until aromatic and slightly darkened in colour. Blitz in a spice grinder or grind in a mortar and pestle until a fine powder. Put aside.
2. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend well. Strain and set aside until needed.
3. Lightly sweat off the harissa paste in a pan.
4. Add the olive oil and infuse on a low heat for 2 minutes.
5. Store in a container and allow to cool. 
6. Take the chickpeas and shallow fry at around 160 degrees until crisp and dry. Season with salt and set aside.
7. Toast hazelnuts in a pan over low heat for a few minutes, then lightly crush with a mortar and pestle or pulse in a food processor.
8. Toast pepitas and sunflower kernels in a separate pan, then put aside to cool down.
9. Coat carrots in olive oil and season with pink lake salt, then roast them at 180 degrees Celsius, making sure to get a nice golden colour. Make sure they still have a bit of bite.
10. Place all salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well making sure everything is well dressed.
11. Top the salad with generous dollops of hummus, dress with harissa oil, and finally, sprinkle over the fried chickpeas.